I have written two computer simulations for PC's that I use in my undergraduate ecology course. (See below for links to other software sites.) With these programs I try to elucidate ecological concepts such as interspecific competition and statistical concepts such as sampling error. Students use the simulations experimentally to answer "what if" questions.

The files have been compressed and are self-extracting. Please read the instructions for downloading and disclaimer. Documentation, including worksheets, are included in Microsoft Word format.

These programs are "freeware" but they are not public domain. You are welcome to use them with the following provisions:

1. Under no circumstances may you sell this program. You are, however, welcome to make it freely available to your students.
2. If you distribute the program to others you must do so with all of the supporting program files and the Readme file. If you distribute the program to students in your class you do not have to include the laboratory exercise or worksheets since you may prefer to use your own.
3. If you use and modify the accompanying laboratory exercise and worksheets some mention must be made of the original source.
4. If you use this program in your course you must let me know. Of course I would also appreciate any comments and suggestions you might have. If you develop teaching materials I would like to see them for possible use in my own course.

  PopSize   (WindowsXP and up; 1.9M zip file)

The mark-recapture method is used to estimate the size of animal populations, and is often a topic of undergraduate ecology labs. PopSize allows students to run hundreds of simulated mark-recapture studies in a very short period of time. I first have the class perform a mark-recapture exercise in the field then use the computer simulation to reinforce the theoretical concepts behind the procedure. With PopSize students can perform "what if" experiments. For example, they can see how the population estimate is affected if marked animals have a higher mortality than unmarked animals, or are more likely to emigrate. Other exercises help students understand the meaning of 95% confidence limits. For more information look at the Readme file and examine a 13K screen shot.

  Compete 

This is an old DOS program but it still works well.  The purpose is to introduce students to the Lotka-Volterra models of intra- and inter-specific competition. Variables such as the population growth rates and competition coefficients can be changed to see how this affects the outcome of competition. The display shows two graphs, population growth vs. time and the population sizes plotted against each other (a zero-growth isocline graph). Putting the two graphs next to each other, rather than on separate screens makes it easier for students to understand the connection between these two ways of presenting the results of the simulation. You can examine a screen shot or the Compete Readme file.

There are many sites on the Web which, like mine, are used to distribute software. The sites below focus on educational software for ecology and other areas of biology. I have not tested many of these programs so descriptions are taken from the respective web sites. I would like to hear which ones you think are worthwhile.

Free Software

• Populus is an excellent DOS program that covers many different models in ecology and evolution
• The Software for Population Analysis Page provides links to a number of downloadable software packages for the analysis of mark-recapture studies.  These programs are designed primarily for analysis of research data but may also be useful for educational purposes.
• The Wildlife Ecology Software Server is a clearinghouse for wildlife ecology related software.  It is no longer supported but the software is still there.
• The Population Analysis Software Group provides several programs for the analysis of fish and wildlife populations using marking and sighting methods
• The Patuxent Software Archive also provides a number of programs for the analysis of animal populations.
• IUBio Archive is an archive of biology data and software. The archive includes items to browse, search and fetch molecular data, software, biology news and documents, as well as links to remote information sources in biology and elsewhere.
• The Illinois Natural History Survey Wildlife Ecology Software Server is intended as a clearinghouse for wildlife ecology related software.
• The Biology Software Lab of the University of Oregon develops educational software tools, primarily for the Macintosh. These tools are primarily geared toward college undergraduates in biology but may be useful in a variety of settings and disciplines, ranging from secondary school to graduate courses, and from sociology and geography to chemistry and mathematics.

Reviews of Free and Commercial Software

• The Biology Education Software FAQ reviews leducational programs in ecology, genetics, physiology and cell biology. It includes links to sites where you can download some of these programs (last updated in 1999).
• the University of Tennessee at Knoxville Mathematical Life Sciences Archives links to many online software resources.

Shareware and Commercial Software

• Wa-Tor for Windows is a population ecology simulation game pitting sharks against fish. The populations may fluctuate in a manner similar to the Lotka-Volterra model or may go extinct, depending on the initial parameters and subsequent random events. (shareware; $15 / UK£10)
• RAMAS Ecological and Environmental Software by Applied Biomathematics.

Online Interactive Biology Simulations

• The Virtual Frog is part of the "Whole Frog" project. The program allows interactive dissection of a frog, and includes the capability to make on-the-fly movies.
• The Franklin Institute Science Museum presents The Heart: An Online Exploration. Explore the heart. Discover the complexities of its development and structure.

More education links can be found on my page of interesting web sites.