2025 ICM
Problem E: Making Room for Agriculture
2025 年 ICM 问题 E:为农业腾出空间
Situation: 情况:
A forest filled with towering trees and diverse wildlife was cleared to make way for agriculture. The once-thriving ecosystem, home to birds, insects, and animals, vanished and in its place, rows of crops were planted. The land began to change - soil that once held the richness of nature became depleted, and pests began to invade the crops. To combat this, the farmers turned to chemicals, but the balance of the land was disrupted. With this shift, the intricate web of life that had flourished in the forest was broken, and a new, human-driven cycle of agriculture took its place creating a new food web based on an agricultural ecosystem. In an established agricultural system, there are bats, birds and other species but to get there, the ecosystem must mature.
一片布满参天大树和多样野生动物的森林被砍伐,为农业让路。曾经繁荣的生态系统,作为鸟类、昆虫和动物的家园,已然消失,取而代之的是一排排作物。土地开始发生变化——曾经富含自然养分的土壤变得贫瘠,害虫开始侵袭作物。为了应对这一问题,农民们转向使用化学品,但土地的平衡被打破。随着这一转变,森林中繁盛的生命网络被破坏,取而代之的是以人类为主导的农业循环,建立了一个基于农业生态系统的新食物网。在一个成熟的农业系统中,存在蝙蝠、鸟类和其他物种,但要达到这一状态,生态系统必须成熟。
Model and Analyze: 模型与分析:
In places throughout the world, scenarios like this one occur. As a member of the Consideration of Mature Agricultural Practices (COMAP) group, you have been asked to construct a model to track habitat change from forest-to-farm. Your supervisor has given your team the lead in determining how a converted forest area can change over time as the ecosystem evolves along with accompanying agricultural choices. Your supervisor wants the analysis to include both natural processes as well as human decisions. Therefore, you should start your model of a newly cleared converted forest area ecosystem and track the model through stages of change due to the changes in species in addition to the many impacts of farming practices. You can make assumptions to build a situation of forest-to-farm, or you can use data and information from stages in a real historic sample of this kind of evolution. You may want to consider the following in your analysis:
在世界各地,类似的情景时有发生。作为成熟农业实践考量小组(COMAP)的一员,你被要求构建一个模型来追踪从森林到农田的栖息地变化。你的主管已授权你的团队主导研究,探讨随着生态系统演变及伴随的农业选择,一片被转化的森林区域如何随时间变化。主管希望分析中既包含自然过程,也涵盖人类决策。因此,你应从一片新近清理的转化森林区域生态系统开始建模,并通过物种变化及多种农业实践影响来追踪模型的演变阶段。你可以通过假设构建一个森林转农田的情景,或利用此类演变历史样本各阶段的数据和信息。在分析中,你可能需要考虑以下因素:
- Natural Processes - 自然过程
- Model the current ecosystem. Build a basic food web model for this new agricultural ecosystem which recently took the place of a heavily forested region. Include the producers and the consumers as well as the impact of the agriculture cycle and its seasonality which changes the system dynamics over time. Consider the impact of herbicides and pesticides by including the effects of chemical use on plant health, insect populations, bat and bird populations as well as the ecosystem stability.
模拟当前生态系统。为这片新近取代茂密林区的农业生态系统构建一个基础食物网模型。模型中需包含生产者与消费者,以及农业周期及其季节性对系统动态随时间变化的影响。考虑除草剂和杀虫剂的影响,将化学品使用对植物健康、昆虫种群、蝙蝠与鸟类数量以及生态系统稳定性的作用纳入考量。
- Incorporate the reemergence of species. Over time, the edge habitats begin to mature which brings back the species native to the area. As species return, the agricultural ecosystem changes due to the interactions of these species with the current environment. Incorporate two different species into the model to determine the impacts.
纳入物种的重新出现。随着时间的推移,边缘栖息地开始成熟,这使该地区原生物种得以回归。随着物种的回归,农业生态系统因这些物种与当前环境的相互作用而发生变化。在模型中引入两种不同物种,以确定其影响。
- Human Decisions - 人类决策
- Removal of herbicide. As the ecosystem matures, farmers may attempt to remove some of the chemical dependance.
除草剂的去除。随着生态系统的成熟,农民可能会尝试减少对化学品的依赖。
- If the herbicide was removed, report on the stability of the ecosystem in terms of the producers and consumers.
若除草剂被移除,需从生产者和消费者的角度报告生态系统的稳定性。
- Bring the ecosystem back into balance by incorporating bats into the food web model. Model bats as insectivores that control pest populations and as pollinators that support plant reproduction. Consider how bats’ interactions with insects, plants, and predators influence the overall stability of the ecosystem. Identify another species that can provide benefits to bring the ecosystem back into balance and compare the impacts.
通过将蝙蝠纳入食物网模型,恢复生态系统的平衡。将蝙蝠建模为控制害虫数量的食虫动物和支持植物繁殖的传粉者。考虑蝙蝠与昆虫、植物和捕食者的相互作用如何影响生态系统的整体稳定性。识别另一种能够提供益处以恢复生态系统平衡的物种,并比较其影响。
- Go green? Analyze the implications of a farmer considering organic farming methods. Consideration should be given to different scenarios with varying components of organic farming. Demonstrate the impact on the ecosystem as a whole and to the individual components. Discuss aspects such as pest control, crop health, plant reproduction, biodiversity, long-term sustainability and cost effectiveness.
走向绿色?分析农民考虑采用有机耕作方法的影响。应考虑包含不同有机耕作成分的各种情景。展示对整个生态系统及各个组成部分的影响。讨论诸如害虫控制、作物健康、植物繁殖、生物多样性、长期可持续性和成本效益等方面。
Share Your Insights 分享您的见解
- Include a one-page letter to a farmer who is exploring organic farming practices.
致一位正在探索有机农业实践的农民的一页信
- Advise the farmer on what methods should be employed including discussions on economic trade-offs as well as sustainability. Help the farmer determine strategies that could be implemented to balance costs and sustainability and how advocating for certain policies could incentivize this type of conservation in agriculture.
向农民建议应采用的措施,包括讨论经济权衡与可持续性问题。帮助农民确定可实施的策略,以平衡成本与可持续性,并探讨倡导某些政策如何激励此类农业保护行为。
Your PDF solution of no more than 25 total pages should include:
您的 PDF 解决方案总页数不得超过 25 页,内容应包括:
- One-page Summary Sheet. 一页摘要表。
- Table of Contents. 目录
- Your complete solution. 您的完整解决方案。
- One-page letter. 一页信。
- References list. 参考文献列表。
- AI Use Report (If used does not count toward the 25-page limit.)
人工智能使用报告(如使用不计入 25 页限制。)
Note: There is no specific required minimum page length for a complete ICM submission. You may use up to 25 total pages for all your solution work and any additional information you want to include (for example: drawings, diagrams, calculations, tables). Partial solutions are accepted. We permit the careful use of AI such as ChatGPT, although it is not necessary to create a solution
注:完整的 ICM 提交没有特定的最低页数要求。您最多可使用 25 页来呈现所有解答内容及任何希望包含的附加信息(例如:绘图、图表、计算、表格)。部分解答亦可接受。我们允许谨慎使用如 ChatGPT 等人工智能工具,尽管创建解答并非必须依赖于此。
to this problem. If you choose to utilize a generative AI, you must follow the COMAP AI use policy. This will result in an additional AI use report that you must add to the end of your PDF solution file and does not count toward the 25 total page limit for your solution.
针对此问题,若您决定采用生成式人工智能技术,则必须遵循 COMAP 的人工智能使用政策。这将导致需要额外提交一份人工智能使用报告,您需将其附加至 PDF 解决方案文件的末尾,且该报告不计入解决方案总页数 25 页的限制之内。
NEW MCM/ICM: Online Submission Process
新 MCM/ICM:在线提交流程
The purpose of this article is to assist and guide students and advisors participating in MCM/ICM. In the article, COMAP, provides information about the new online submission process using the new online submission page
https://forms.comap.org/241335097294056. You will need your team’s control number, advisor id number and your problem choice to complete your submission.
本文旨在协助和指导参与 MCM/ICM 的学生及指导教师。文中,COMAP 提供了关于使用新在线提交页面 https://forms.comap.org/241335097294056 进行在线提交的新流程信息。完成提交需提供团队的控制编号、指导教师 ID 号及所选问题。
Glossary 术语表
Converted Forest Area: An area where a forest was cleared so the land could be used for agriculture.
转换林地面积:指为将土地用于农业而清除森林的区域。
Food Web: A food web is a complex network of feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem. It depicts how energy and nutrients flow and interact through different levels of the ecosystem from producers (plants) to many levels of consumers (herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores) and then decomposers (fungi, bacteria). It is critical to understanding how ecosystems function and maintain balance.
食物网:食物网是生态系统中生物之间复杂的摄食关系网络。它描绘了能量和营养物质如何通过生态系统的不同层次流动和相互作用,从生产者(植物)到多个层次的消费者(草食动物、肉食动物和杂食动物),再到分解者(真菌、细菌)。理解食物网对于认识生态系统如何运作和维持平衡至关重要。
- Primary producers: Plants and crops.
初级生产者:植物和农作物。
- Primary consumers: Herbivores that feed on plants.
初级消费者:以植物为食的草食性动物。
- Secondary consumers: Insectivores and other predators that consume herbivores.
次级消费者:以食草动物为食的食虫动物及其他捕食者。
- Tertiary consumers: Larger predators that feed on secondary consumers.
三级消费者:以次级消费者为食的大型捕食者。
- Decomposers: Fungi, bacteria and earthworms that break down the dead and bring nutrients back into the ecosystem.
分解者:真菌、细菌和蚯蚓,它们分解死亡物质并将养分带回生态系统。
Agricultural Ecosystem: Agricultural ecosystems are complex, with various species interacting in food webs that support both ecological balance and crop production. Human interventions such as the use of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers are commonly employed to increase crop yields, but these can have negative ecological and economic consequences. Bats provide valuable ecosystem services, such as pest control and pollination, which contribute to agricultural sustainability.
农业生态系统:农业生态系统复杂多样,其中各类物种在食物网中相互作用,既维系生态平衡又促进作物生产。人类常采用除草剂、杀虫剂和化肥等干预手段以提高作物产量,但这些做法可能带来生态与经济上的负面影响。蝙蝠提供了宝贵的生态系统服务,如害虫控制和授粉,对农业的可持续性发展做出了贡献。
Agriculture Cycle: The agriculture cycle refers to the stages of agricultural production from planting and growing crops to harvesting and preparing them for consumption or sale. Key stages are:
农业周期:农业周期指的是从种植和作物生长到收获并准备消费或销售的农业生产阶段。关键阶段包括:
- Preparation of Soil: Farmers prepare the land by tilling, removing weeds, and adding fertilizers. The soil is critical as it serves as the medium in which crops grow and supports the food web.
土壤准备:农民通过耕作、除草和施肥来准备土地。土壤至关重要,因为它作为作物生长的介质,并支撑着食物网。
- Planting/Seeding: Farmers plant seeds or seedlings at the appropriate time for the crops to grow. This is dependent on weather, temperature and soil conditions.
种植/播种:农民在适宜的时间播种或栽种幼苗,以确保作物生长。这取决于天气、温度和土壤条件。