biology

Ecology

The web of life — food chains, population cycles, biodiversity, and the delicate balance of ecosystems from forests to oceans.

ecologyecosystemsbiodiversityfood webspopulation dynamicsconservationspecies interactions

Ecology is the study of how living organisms interact with each other and their environment. From the microscopic world of soil bacteria to the global circulation of carbon through the biosphere, ecological systems exhibit remarkable patterns of self-regulation, cycles, and cascading effects.

These simulations explore key ecological concepts. Watch predator-prey populations oscillate in Lotka-Volterra cycles, see how biodiversity relates to ecosystem stability, explore the cascade effects when a keystone species is removed, and understand why islands have fewer species than mainland habitats.

5 interactive simulations

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Population Growth & Carrying Capacity

Watch a population grow through exponential and logistic phases — explore how carrying capacity limits growth and how harvesting affects sustainability.

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Ecological Succession

Watch a landscape recover from disturbance — from bare ground through pioneer species to mature forest, with biodiversity and biomass tracking over time.

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Food Web & Trophic Cascades

Interactive food web model showing how species removal triggers trophic cascades — watch energy flow through the network and see which species are truly keystone.

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Island Biogeography Theory

Explore MacArthur-Wilson theory of island biogeography — watch species immigrate and go extinct until equilibrium is reached.

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Species-Area Relationship

Explore the power-law relationship between habitat area and species richness — see why halving habitat doesn't halve biodiversity, and calculate extinction debt.