Entering your Data

Model

enaR is a software suite to apply Ecological Network Analyses to models that trace the flow of energy or matter through ecosystems. The software does not currently include functions to help investigators construct a model; it assumes that you have a model in hand to analyze. Investigators might build a model using a phenomenological approach or using systems dynamics modeling. It is also possible to use software tools to aid in this model construction like EcoPath with EcoSim (EwE) or limSolve for Linear Inverse Modeling. Regardless of the model construction technique, the full set of information required for ENA includes the following:

• flow from node i to node j, which is typically summarized in a flow matrix F. In a trophic ecosystem model, many of these flows will be generated by feeding relationships. The Diet matrix in EcoPath contains some of this information.
• boundary input flows from the environment to node i, summarized as an input vector.
• boundary losses from node i. This can be summarized as a single vector, but in some cases it is necessary to distinguish between two types of boundary losses:
• respirations losses refer to low quality losses that cannot be used to do further work.
• export losses refer to lost energy or material that can be used to do further work in other systems.
• Storage (aka Biomass)
• Living
• Node Names