Overview

HEC-EFMSim allows users to create and characterize ecological communities that are simulated in a data-defined virtual environment where they interact with that environment, themselves, and each other.  It is a detailed simulation software.  It is inherently spatial.  It is primarily used to simulate population dynamics though its generic nature allows for inclusion of many ecological dynamics, including biogeochemical interactions.

Primary features include:

1.  An embedded Geographic Information System (GIS) used to view data, create model constructs, and visualize simulation outputs
2.  Data import interfaces for raster (spatial grid data) and feature class (spatial features and related attributes) data
3.  Logic interfaces that allow for creation and parameterization of rules that govern community behaviors during simulations
4.  Simulation interfaces that allow setting of simulation time periods and time steps and viewing of results

Simulation results can be viewed as animations of variables such as count, size, and density of virtual communities.  Results can also be viewed as time series via tabular formats.