# Spatial ecology ## MicroSim spec - **Recommended sim type:** [[Agent-based_model|agent-based model]] - **Microsimmability score:** 76/100 - **Layout:** drawing region (canvas) on top; control region (sliders/buttons) below. ### Parameters (tunable controls) - `Dispersal rate` - `Patch quality` - `Population size` ### What animates Organisms spread across a patchy landscape and local densities shift with dispersal and habitat quality. ### Learning objective Show how dispersal and habitat [[Structure|structure]] shape spatial population patterns. ## Links (Wikipedia order) <!-- injected from _registry/childlinks/Spatial_ecology.json (2026-07-30T02:09:12Z) --> `Abiotic_component` · `Abiotic_stress` · `Abundance_(ecology)` · [[Adaptation]] · `Agroecology` · `Allee_effect` · `Allometry` · `Alternative_stable_state` · `Animal_coloration` · `Anti-predator_adaptation` · `Antibiosis` · `Apex_predator` · `Applied_ecology` · `Archaea` · `Arctic_ecology` · `Ascendency` · `Assembly_rules` · `Autecology` · [[Autocorrelation]] · `Autotroph` · `Bacteriophage` · `Bacterivore` · `Balance_of_nature` · `Bateman's_principle` · `Behavioral_ecology` · `Bioaccumulation` · `Biodiversity` · `Biogeochemical_cycle` · `Biogeography` · `Bioindicator` · `Biological_data_visualization` · `Biological_dispersal` · `Biological_interaction` · `Biological_organisation` · `Bioluminescence` · `Biomagnification` · `Biomass_(ecology)` · `Biome` · `Biotic_stress` · `Camouflage` · `Carbon_sequestration` · `Carnivore` · [[Carrying_capacity]] · `Cascade_effect_(ecology)` · `Chemical_ecology` · `Chemosynthesis` · `Chemotroph` · `Climate_change` · `Climax_community` · `Cline_(biology)` · `Cold_seep` · `Commensalism` · `Community_(ecology)` · `Competition_(biology)` · `Competitive_exclusion_principle` · `Consumer-resource_model` · `Consumer_(food_chain)` · `Consumer–resource_interactions` · `Copiotroph` · `Correlation` · `Correlogram` · `Cross-boundary_subsidy` · `Decomposer` · `Decomposition` · `Deimatic_behaviour` · `Demography` · `Density_dependence` · `Depensation` · `Desert_ecology` · `Detritivore` · `Detritus` · `Disease_ecology` · `Disturbance_(ecology)` · `Dominance_(ecology)` · `Ecological_anthropology` · `Ecological_debt` · `Ecological_economics` · `Ecological_effects_of_biodiversity` · `Ecological_efficiency` · [[Ecological_engineering]] · `Ecological_extinction` · `Ecological_facilitation` · [[Ecological_footprint]] · `Ecological_forecasting` · `Ecological_indicator` · `Ecological_network` · `Ecological_niche` · `Ecological_pyramid` · `Ecological_resilience` · `Ecological_stability` · `Ecological_stoichiometry` · `Ecological_succession` · `Ecological_threshold` · `Ecological_trap` · `Ecological_yield` · [[Ecology]] · `Ecology_of_the_San_Francisco_Estuary` · `Ecopath` · `Ecophysiology` · `Ecosophy` · [[Ecosystem]] · `Ecosystem_diversity` · `Ecosystem_ecology` · `Ecosystem_engineer` · [[Ecosystem_model]] · `Ecotone` · `Ecotoxicology` · `Ecotype` · `Edge_effects` · `Effective_population_size` · [[Emergence]] · `Endemism` · `Endolith` · `Energy_flow_(ecology)` · `Energy_quality` · `Energy_systems_language` · `Environmental_humanities` · `Epidemic` · `Evolutionary_ecology` · `Extinction_debt` · `F-ratio_(oceanography)` · `Feed_conversion_ratio` · `Feeding_frenzy` · `Field_research` · `Fire_ecology` · `Flagship_species` · `Food_chain` · `Food_web` · `Forage` · `Foraging` · `Forest_ecology` · `Foster's_rule` · `Foundation_species` · `Functional_ecology` · `Generalist_and_specialist_species` · `Genetic_ecology` · `Geostatistics` · `Glossary_of_ecology` · `Gradient` · `Green_world_hypothesis` · `Guild_(ecology)` · `Habitat` · `Habitat_fragmentation` · `Herbivore` · `Herbivore_adaptations_to_plant_defense` · `Heterotroph` · `Heterotrophic_nutrition` · `History_of_ecology` · `Human_ecology` · `Human_migration` · `Hydrothermal_vent` · `Ideal_free_distribution` · [[Industrial_ecology]] · `Insect` · `Insect_ecology` · `Insectivore` · `Insular_biogeography` · [[Interdisciplinarity]] · `Intermediate_disturbance_hypothesis` · `Interspecific_competition` · `Intertidal_ecology` · `Intraguild_predation` · `Intraspecific_competition` · `Introduced_species` · `Invasive_species` · `Kelp_forest` · `Keystone_species` · `Kinetotroph` · `Kleiber's_law` · `Lake_ecosystem` · `Land_change_modeling` · `Landscape_ecology` · `Landscape_epidemiology` · `Landscape_limnology` · `Latitudinal_gradients_in_species_diversity` · `Liebig's_law_of_the_minimum` · `Limiting_similarity` · `List_of_feeding_behaviours` · `Lithoautotroph` · `Lithotroph` · `Logistic_function` · `Lotka–Volterra_equations` · `Macroecology` · `Malthusian_growth_model` · `Marginal_value_theorem` · `Marine_food_web` · `Marine_habitat` · `Marine_microorganisms` · `Maximum_sustainable_yield` · `Mesopredator` · `Mesopredator_release_hypothesis` · `Mesotrophic_soil` · `Metabolic_theory_of_ecology` · `Metapopulation` · `Methodology` · `Microbial_cooperation` · `Microbial_ecology` · `Microbial_food_web` · `Microbial_intelligence` · `Microbial_loop` · `Microbial_mat` · `Microbial_metabolism` · `Microecology` · `Microecosystem` · `Microorganism` · `Mimicry` · `Minimum_viable_population` · `Mixotroph` · `Molecular_ecology` · `Mutualism_(biology)` · `Myco-heterotrophy` · `Mycoloop` · `Mycotroph` · `Native_species` · `Natural_environment` · `Natural_history` · `Nearest_neighbor_search` · `Niche_apportionment_models` · `Niche_construction` · `Non-trophic_networks` · `North_Pacific_Gyre` · `Null_hypothesis` · `Nutrient_cycle` · `Occupancy–abundance_relationship` · `Oligotroph` · `Omnivore` · `Ontogenetic_niche_shift` · `Optimal_foraging_theory` · `Ordination_(statistics)` · `Organism` · `Organotroph` · `Outline_of_ecology` · `Overexploitation` · `Overpopulation` · `Paleoecology` · `Paradox_of_the_plankton` · `Parasitism` · `Patch_dynamics` · `Phage_ecology` · `Photoheterotroph` · `Photosynthesis` · `Photosynthetic_efficiency` · `Phototroph` · `Planktivore` · `Plant_defense_against_herbivory` · `Plant_ecology` · `Poisson_distribution` · `Polar_ecology` · `Political_ecology` · `Population_cycle` · [[Population_dynamics]] · `Population_ecology` · [[Population_model]] · `Population_size` · `Population_viability_analysis` · `Predation` · `Prey_switching` · `Primary_nutritional_groups` · `Primary_production` · `Priority_effect` · `Productivity_(ecology)` · `Quantitative_ecology` · `R/K_selection_theory` · `Random_generalized_Lotka–Volterra_model` · `Rapoport's_rule` · `Recruitment_(biology)` · `Regime_shift` · `Relative_abundance_distribution` · `Relative_species_abundance` · `Remote_sensing` · `Reproduction` · `Resistance_(ecology)` · `Resource_(biology)` · `Resource_selection_function` · `River_ecosystem` · `Scientific_modelling` · `Semiaquatic` · `Sexecology` · `Sexual_reproduction` · `Shoaling_and_schooling` · `Small_population_size` · `Social_ecology_(academic_field)` · `Soil_ecology` · `Soil_food_web` · `Source–sink_dynamics` · `Spatial_analysis` · `Spatial_scale` · `Species` · `Species_distribution` · `Species_distribution_modelling` · `Species_diversity` · `Species_homogeneity` · `Species_richness` · `Species–area_relationship` · `Storage_effect` · `Symbiosis` · `Systemic_bias` · [[Systems_ecology]] · `Taxon` · `Taxonomy_(biology)` · `Taylor's_law` · `Terrestrial_animal` · [[Theoretical_ecology]] · `Thermal_ecology` · `Thorson's_rule` · `Tide_pool` · `Tobler's_first_law_of_geography` · `Tritrophic_interactions_in_plant_defense` · `Trophic_cascade` · `Trophic_level` · `Trophic_mutualism` · `Trophic_state_index` · `Tropical_ecology` · `Umbrella_species` · `Unified_neutral_theory_of_biodiversity` · `Urban_ecology` · `Wildlife` · `Wildlife_management` · `Xerosere` > p5.js MicroSim stub · part of Systems Science · [Wikipedia source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_ecology) > Relation: subfield of systems science. ## Concept summary Spatial ecology studies the ultimate distributional or spatial unit occupied by a species. ## Build checklist - [ ] Claim it: set `status: in-progress` + `lease` + `leased_at` - [ ] Write the child page explaining the concept (tie it back to systems science) - [ ] Finalize parameter ranges and defaults - [ ] Implement the p5.js sketch (drawing + control regions) - [ ] Add caption + the learning objective on the page - [ ] Set `status: done` ## p5.js sketch ```javascript // MicroSim: Spatial ecology let controls = {}; function setup() { // createCanvas(...); create sliders for the parameters above. } function draw() { // background(...); read controls; render agent-based model; respond live. } ``` --- Back to Systems Science · Wikipedia: [Spatial ecology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_ecology) --- <!-- SEMIOTIC-PROFILE:START --> ## Semiotic profile > *The semiotic universals this article invokes, machine-derived from the crossref — **unverified** (born so). Populated 2026-07-06 for the Systems room.* **Universals (4):** 🟡 science (5) · 🟡 system (5) · 🟡 structure (2) · 🟢 distribution (1) **Enter by sign:** Systems Semiotic Gateway · Alphabetum · Icon Registry · ← Systems Portal <!-- SEMIOTIC-PROFILE:END --> ## Wikipedia : Wikitube **Strict pair:** [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_ecology) : [Wikitube](https://en.wikitube.io/wiki/Spatial_ecology) ## Previous hub tags Tree parents: [[Complex_system]] · [[Cybernetics]] · [[Emergence]] · [[Feedback]] · [[Self-organization]] · [[Systems_science]] · [[Systems_theory]]. Legacy hubs: none. --- *Sources: 1 legacy note. Minted wave 1, 2026-07-30 (v1.6 order).*