SIMDEL: a spatially explicit individual-based model for panther and white-tailed deer in Everglades landscapes

A computer simulation model, SIMDEL, is designed to 1) simulate the life cycles of each individual Florida panther (Felix concolor coryi) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus seminolus) in the Everglades and their interactions with other individuals in changing heterogeneous landscapes, 2) assess potential impacts of human activities and climate change on the population dynamics, and 3) allow model comparisons of alternative water management strategies on the populations in the Everglades. SIMDEL simulates the interactions of hydrology, vegetation, the Florida panther, and white-tailed deer on multiple spatial and temporal scales. The induced daily energetic balance and body weight changes are key factors driving the population-scale results derived from the model. The model provides a visualization in real-time of the spatial and temporal dynamics of this simulation. Estimation of various individual behavioral and physiological parameters is done using published data as well as knowledge from wildlife biologists familiar with the local populations of panther and deer.