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EARLI: A Complex Systems Approach for Modeling Land-use Change and Settlement Growth in Early Agricultural Societies

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Computational Models of Complex Systems

Part of the book series: Intelligent Systems Reference Library ((ISRL,volume 53))

Abstract

Understanding the driving forces of historical land-use change can provide insights about the pressures experienced in present-day landscapes. This study develops a model to examine the spatio-temporal land-use changes and population responses of early agricultural communities under a variety of environmental and cultural conditions. Complex systems theory and geographical information systems (GIS) are integrated into the design of the model. The resulting Early Agricultural Resources and Land-use Investigation (EARLI) model couples agent-based modeling (ABM) and cellular automata (CA) techniques within a GIS framework. The model examines how both cultural and environmental factors influence land use change under multiple scenarios. Results from the simulations provide new insights that range from analysis of the interaction of human behavior within the local environment to the archaeological record.

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Acknowledgments

The full support of this study was provided through Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) research grant awarded to the second author. Authors are thankful for valuable reviewers’ comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Spatial Interface Research Lab, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

    Sonja Aagesen

  2. Spatial Analysis and Modeling Lab, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada

    Suzana Dragićević

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  1. Sonja Aagesen
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  2. Suzana Dragićević
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Correspondence to Suzana Dragićević .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, Troy University, Troy, Alabama, USA

    Vijay Kumar Mago

  2. The IRMACS Centre, Simon Fraser University The MoCSSy Program, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

    Vahid Dabbaghian

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Aagesen, S., Dragićević, S. (2014). EARLI: A Complex Systems Approach for Modeling Land-use Change and Settlement Growth in Early Agricultural Societies. In: Mago, V., Dabbaghian, V. (eds) Computational Models of Complex Systems. Intelligent Systems Reference Library, vol 53. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01285-8_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01285-8_9

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