Figure 3
Parameters setting process flow. Each of the parameters is represented by the oval shapes within blue circles, where those within the same circle are calculated together at the same time. The rectangular orange shapes characterise underlying data, with the corresponding figures referenced within. The compound lines represent the processes that lead to the generation of each parameter. Of these lines, dual arrow lines correspond to a fitting process based on the comparison between simulated and actual data, whereas single arrows represent parameters simply derived from actual data or already-determined parameters. The dotted lines correspond to decision-making process points. The flow starts with the setting of \(p_{pa} = 0\). (1) corresponds to seeking the optimal value of \(p_m\) by comparing the actual data to the simulation results, calculated solely within the temporal network structure layer. (2) represents the actual data analysis where \(\alpha\) and D from previous studies are validated, with \(\nu\) given. (3) corresponds to the computation of the fitting parameters \(\beta\) and F based on the comparison between the actual data (dual arrows) and simulated results from the best-fitted feeding parameters. The process generates the simulated values for the tent-shaped growth curves (rectangle 4e,f). These values are then compared to the actual data in (4). The process ends if the results are aligned. If not, \(p_{pa}\) is changed upwards (or downwards in case of over-estimation) and the whole process restarts.
