ASOM Agent-Based Model

The ASOM team is hard at work, developing an agent-based model in Netlogo to simulate the emergence of territoriality in the Dhufar region of Oman. The theoretical environmental model (shown here) provides a preview of group transhumance from the plateau (south) to the desert (north) based on shifting environmental conditions such as monsoons, biting flies, and energy and protein needs of cattle. Recently, the ASOM team has developed a model of agent behavior, in which groups form attachments to each other and the landscape. This leads to the formation of larger cultural groups. Soon, agent behaviors will be integrated into the environmental model, giving us an idea of how these complex social-ecological systems have impacted our world!