FN Archimer Export Format PT J TI Best practice in Ecopath with Ecosim food-web models for ecosystem-based management BT AF HEYMANS, Johanna Jacomina COLL, Marta LINK, Jason S. MACKINSON, Steven STEENBEEK, Jeroen WALTERS, Carl CHRISTENSEN, Villy AS 1:1;2:2,3;3:4;4:5;5:6;6:7;7:7; FF 1:;2:;3:;4:;5:;6:;7:; C1 Scottish Marine Inst, Scottish Assoc Marine Sci, Oban PA37 1QA, Argyll, Scotland. Inst Rech Dev UMR MARBEC MARine Biodiver Exploita, Ave Jean Monnet,BP 171, F-34203 Sete, France. Inst Marine Sci ICM CSIC, Passeig Maritim Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona 08003, Spain. NOAA Fisheries, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA. Cefas, Pakefield Rd, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, Suffolk, England. Ecopath Int Initiat Res Assoc, Barcelona, Spain. Univ British Columbia, Inst Oceans & Fisheries, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada. C2 SCOTTISH MARINE INST, UK IRD, FRANCE ICM CSIC, SPAIN NOAA, USA CEFAS, UK ECOPATH INT INITIAT RES ASSOC, SPAIN MPO, CANADA UM MARBEC IF 2.363 TC 331 UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00626/73763/74237.pdf LA English DT Article DE ;Ecopath with Ecosim;Ecological network analysis;Ecosystem modelling;Ecosystem-based management;Monte Carlo;Time series fitting AB Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) models are easier to construct and use compared to most other ecosystem modelling techniques and are therefore more widely used by more scientists and managers. This, however, creates a problem with quality assurance; to address this we provide an overview of best practices for creating Ecopath, models. We describe the diagnostics that can be used to check for thermodynamic and ecological principles, and highlight principles that should be used for balancing a model. We then highlight the pitfalls when comparing Ecopath models using Ecological Network Analysis indices. For dynamic simulations in Ecosim we show the state of the art in calibrating the model by fitting it to time series using a formal fitting procedure and statistical goodness of fit. Finally, we show how Monte Carlo simulations can be used to address uncertainty in input parameters, and we discuss the use of models in a management context, specifically using the concept of 'key runs' for ecosystem-based management. This novel list of best practices for EwE models will enable ecosystem managers to evaluate the goodness of fit of the given EwE model to the ecosystem management question. PY 2016 PD JUN SO Ecological Modelling SN 0304-3800 PU Elsevier Science Bv VL 331 UT 000376831700016 BP 173 EP 184 DI 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.12.007 ID 73763 ER EF