Agent-based land use models for teaching extension and collaborative learning
This chapter describes an agent-based land use modeling approach, called MP-MAS, developed at Hohenheim University. The main focus of this approach is the integration of economic decision-models with biophysical models of water supply and soil fertility at a fine spatial resolution. Short-term production and consumption decisions of agents are represented as mathematical programming problems, whereas longer-term decisions, for example investment and migration, are represented using heuristics. Here, we position the approach in relation to alternative agent-based models of land use and water management and describe empirical applications to Chile, Uganda, Ghana, and Thailand. Based on these practical experiences, we discuss the use of MP-MAS as a tool for collaborative learning and participatory research.