Parameter Estimation for an Allometric Food Web Model

The application of mechanistic models to natural systems is of interest to ecological researchers. We use the mechanistic Allometric Trophic Network (ATN) model, which is well-studied for controlled and theoretical systems, to describe the dynamics of the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi in an agricultural field. We diagnose problems that arise in a first attempt at a least squares parameter estimation on this system, including formulation of the model for the inverse problem and information content present in the data. We seek to establish whether the field data, as it is currently collected, can support parameter estimation for the ATN model.