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STOCHASTIC AND MULTISCALE MODELS FOR URBAN AND NATURAL ECOLOGY
by
Maud Comboul
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Ful llment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING)
August 2012
Copyright 2012 Maud Comboul
Object Description
| Title | Stochastic and multiscale models for urban and natural ecology |
| Author | Comboul, Maud |
| Author email | comboul@usc.edu;maudcomboul@gmail.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Civil Engineering (Environmental Engineering) |
| School | Viterbi School of Engineering |
| Date defended/completed | 2012-05-09 |
| Date submitted | 2012-07-27 |
| Date approved | 2012-07-27 |
| Restricted until | 2012-07-27 |
| Date published | 2012-07-27 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Ghanem, Roger |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Newton, Paul Nakano, Aiichiro Masri, Sami Johnson, Erik |
| Abstract | This research reflects on both particular cases of ecologies: sensor networks in urban water distribution systems and forest dynamics under changing disturbance regime, and the elaboration of exploration tools to investigate and assess those complex ecologies. The predictive models that emerged from this work rely on sophisticated computer simulations designed based on stochastic and multiscale principles, and contribute to characterizing and evaluating the knowledge and information that is available about the systems under investigation. This thesis is organized into three distinct projects, each of which confronts specific challenges encountered when modeling complex systems. The first project considers the monitoring of water distribution networks where we describe a stochastic parameterization and analysis of uncertainty for the design of single-stage as well as two-stage sensor networks aimed at maximizing the probability of detection of accidents and intrusions in water distribution systems. Next, this study explores the ecological and evolutionary impacts of different disturbance regimes (generated following a stochastic Poisson process) on forests using the framework of a spatially explicit and individual-based forest model designed around four functional traits of trees. The final project investigates a multiscale characterization of forest dynamics using Monte-Carlo simulations of the fine scale dynamics to synthesize a coarse-grain stochastic model describing the dynamics of the system on larger spatial scales. In addition to modeling aspects, all three projects yield adequate computational performance, thereby assessing a recurrent challenge associated with the computational feasibility and performance of relevant numerical algorithms. |
| Keyword | stochastic optimization; greedy algorithm; sensor network; Monte Carlo simulations agent-based model; Markov dynamics; multiscale dynamics; forest dynamics |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m |
| Rights | Comboul, Maud |
| Access conditions | The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given. |
| Repository name | University of Southern California Digital Library |
| Repository address | USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 7002, 106 University Village, Los Angeles, California 90089-7002, USA |
| Repository email | cisadmin@usc.edu |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume4/etd-ComboulMau-1045.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Full text | STOCHASTIC AND MULTISCALE MODELS FOR URBAN AND NATURAL ECOLOGY by Maud Comboul A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Ful llment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING) August 2012 Copyright 2012 Maud Comboul |
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