--- title: "How to use mrangr?" author: "Katarzyna Markowska" date: "`r format(Sys.time(), '%d-%m-%Y')`" output: bookdown::html_document2 vignette: > %\VignetteIndexEntry{How to use mrangr?} %\VignetteEncoding{UTF-8} %\VignetteEngine{knitr::rmarkdown} editor_options: chunk_output_type: console markdown: wrap: 72 --- ```{r setup, include=FALSE} knitr::opts_chunk$set( collapse = TRUE, comment = "#>", cache = TRUE ) library(mrangr) library(terra) load("first_com.rda") load("first_sim.rda") K_map <- terra::rast("K_map.tif") ``` # About `mrangr` This vignette demonstrates the main workflow of the `mrangr` package, which is designed to simulate metacommunities within a **spatially explicit, mechanistic framework**. The package builds upon the functionality of our earlier `rangr` package (), which focused on simulating single-species population dynamics with dispersal. `mrangr` extends this by adding the ability to include **multiple interacting species** via an **asymmetric interaction matrix**, allowing for the flexible modelling of any type of biotic interaction. # Basic workflow This vignette shows how to: 1. Create a virtual community. 2. Run a simulation. 3. Visualise results. 4. Collect virtual ecologist data. ## Installing the package The first step is to install and load the `mrangr` package. ```{r load_mrangr, eval = FALSE} install.packages("mrangr") library(mrangr) ``` Since the maps on which the simulation takes place must be in the `SpatRaster` format, we will also install and load the `terra` package to make them easier to manipulate and visualise. ```{r load_raster, eval = FALSE} install.packages("terra") library(terra) ``` ## Input maps One of the required inputs is a set of maps that specify the abundance of each virtual species at the start of the simulation (`n1_map`), as well as carrying capacity maps for all species in the community (`K_map`). We have provided some examples of these in `mrangr`. You can find more information about these datasets in the help files: ```{r eg_maps_help, eval=FALSE} ?K_map_eg.tif ?n1_map_eg.tif ``` Now, let's load and plot these maps. ```{r eg_maps_plot, eval=TRUE} # Carrying capacity K_map_eg <- rast(system.file("input_maps/K_map_eg.tif", package = "mrangr")) plot(K_map_eg, main = paste0("K_", names(K_map_eg))) # Initial abundance n1_map_eg <- rast(system.file("input_maps/n1_map_eg.tif", package = "mrangr")) plot(n1_map_eg ,main = paste0("n1_", names(n1_map_eg))) ``` Both of these rasters have **four** layers. This means that they are ready for simulations involving **four** species, with each layer representing either the carrying capacity or the initial abundance of a species. **The order of the layers is crucial** and must be consistent across all simulation parameters (e.g., species 1 corresponds to the first layer in the input maps, the first row and column in the interaction matrix, and so on). To begin, the **input maps** are generated using the `K_sim` function, which creates spatially autocorrelated rasters (e.g., representing carrying capacity). Subsequent steps require the user to specify the **number of species** and supply a **template raster** to define the simulation's spatial extent and resolution. ```{r set_seed, include=FALSE} # define species number nspec <- 2 # define map dimensions nrows <- ncols <- 100 set.seed(52) ``` ```{r K_sim_basic, eval=FALSE} # define species number nspec <- 2 # define map dimensions nrows <- ncols <- 100 # prepare template raster xmin <- 250000; xmax <- xmin + nrows * 1000 ymin <- 600000; ymax <- ymin + ncols * 1000 id <- rast(nrows = nrows, ncols = ncols, xmin = xmin, xmax = xmax, ymin = ymin, ymax = ymax) crs(id) <- "epsg:2180" id # generate autocorrelated carrying capacity maps K_map <- K_sim(n = nspec, id, range = 5e5, qfun = qlnorm, meanlog = 2, sdlog = 0.5) ``` We generated a raster with two layers. Each layer represents the carrying capacity map for a given virtual species. In this example, the carrying capacity maps were generated using a log-normal distribution; however, any distribution can be used by specifying the appropriate quantile function. ```{r K_sim_basic_plot} plot(K_map, main = paste0("K_", names(K_map))) ``` ## Species interactions The next step is to define the interspecific interactions, which in `mrangr` is done using an **interaction matrix**. Each row and column of the matrix represents a virtual species. Since we are using two species in our example, the matrix is 2×2. The values within the matrix represent the ***per-capita*** **interaction strength** of the species in the **column** on the species in the **row**. This interaction is ultimately realised as a change in the carrying capacity. Here, we define a **symmetric competitive** interaction between two species: ```{r a} a <- matrix(c(NA, -0.8, -0.8, NA), nrow = nspec, ncol = nspec) print(a) ``` ## Community initialisation Now that we have defined the carrying capacity maps and interactions, we can use the `initialize_com` function to create the community. This function returns an object of the class `sim_com_data`, which contains all the necessary data for running a community simulation. ```{r init, eval=FALSE} first_com <- initialise_com( n1_map = round(K_map / 2), K_map = K_map, r = 1.1, a = a, rate = 1 / 500) ``` In the previous sections, we prepared `a` and `K_map`, which we used to define our first metacommunity. However, it was also necessary to pass several **additional arguments**. Here is a detailed breakdown of these: - `n1_map` is a `SpatRaster` object specifying the **initial abundance** of species (in this example, set to half of the carrying capacity). - The `r` parameter sets the population's **intrinsic growth rate**. You may provide a unique value for each species or use a single value for all species, as in our case. The default population growth function is the **Gompertz function**. - The `rate` parameter is linked to the `kernel_fun` parameter, which defaults to an exponential function (`rexp`). Consequently, `rate` determines the shape of the **dispersal kernel**, where the mean dispersal distance is *1/rate*. It is essential that this parameter is specified in the same units as the input maps. In our case, these are **metres**. We can now use `summary` to take a closer look at the `first_com` object. ```{r init_summary} summary(first_com) ``` ## Running the simulation All you need to run a simulation is a `sim_com_data` object and the **number of steps** you wish to simulate. Optionally, you can use the **`burn`** parameter to discard the initial time steps, but we will omit it for this example. ```{r sim, eval=FALSE} first_sim <- sim_com(first_com, time = 100) ``` Now, let's examine the summary of the first simulation. ```{r sim_summary} summary(first_sim) ``` The summary reveals the following key information: - The function `sim_com` returns an object of class `sim_com_results`. - The mean abundance across species is relatively similar. - The simulation was executed for 100 time steps. - None of the species experienced extinction during the simulation. ## Visualisation ### Over space To take a closer look at the final step of the simulation, we will use the `plot()` function. ```{r maps} plot(first_sim, time = c(1, 10, 100)) ``` The initial spatial distribution was set to be proportional to the carrying capacity of each species' habitat, effectively representing their **fundamental niches**. Following the simulation, **competitive exclusion** drove the species' ranges to become almost entirely separate. The resulting distribution maps illustrate the species' final **realised niches**. ### Over time We can also use the `plot_series()` function to plot the mean species abundances over all time steps. ```{r time_series} plot_series(first_sim) legend("bottomright", title = "Species", legend = 1:nspec, lty = 1:nspec, lwd = 2, col = 1:nspec) ``` ## Virtual ecologist The final component in this basic workflow is the `virtual_ecologist()` function. It serves to simulate the real-world observation process, allowing the user to sample the simulated community abundances at defined points in space and time. This step is crucial for incorporating the effects of sampling effort and detection probability into the analysis. ```{r ve_first_random_one} ve <- virtual_ecologist( first_sim, type = "random_one_layer", prop = 1/100 ) head(ve) ``` For this demonstration, we used the sampling strategy `type = "random_one_layer"`, meaning a random set of cells is sampled in each time step. The `prop` argument controls the proportion of cells sampled. Let's inspect the structure of the resulting `data.frame`. ```{r ve_first_head} head(ve) ``` The output `data.frame` includes the following six columns: - `id`: Unique cell identifier. - `x`, `y`: Sampled cell coordinates. - `species`: Species number or name. - `time`: Sampled time step. - `n`: Sampled abundance. An alternative usage of `virtual_ecologist()` is to supply a `data.frame` that pre-defines the sampling design, containing the columns `"x"`, `"y"`, and `"time"`. This specifies the spatial and temporal points of interest for observation. # Summary In this vignette, we demonstrated the key functionalities of the `mrangr` package, specifically how to: - Initialize a multi-species community using the `initialise_com()` function. - Run spatially explicit simulations with `sim_com()`. - Visualize outputs using `plot()` and track abundance changes over time with `plot_series()`. - Generate simulated observation data (sampling) via the `virtual_ecologist()` function. Collectively, these tools establish `mrangr` as a powerful framework for **mechanistic, spatially explicit metacommunity simulation**.