Population Ecology Research

Dr. Chris Jensen, with collaborators from Stony Brook University, has been developing a simulation of prairie dog group formation in relation to resource distribution. Prairie dogs form colonies to defend resources, but what individual behaviors mediate this process are unknown. Dylan Moore, a Pratt graduate student in the digital arts program, has been working to code this virtual prairie dog world. Soon, this simulation will be used to test some prominent models of how groups form and why groups defend a territory of a particular size.

For more information on Dr. Jensen's research, please visit his homepage.