The current version of SIMPLACE framework is described by Enders et al. (2023) and the following sections of this documentation page. The development of SIMPLACE initiated around the year 2010, and was derived from its precursor named SMILE Framework (Enders et al., 2010). The main goal of SMILE was to support an all-encompassing software solution for Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSS) developed in the IMPETUS project (Speth and Diekkrüger 2010). In 2010, the increasing need for integrated assessment in agricultural systems (Ewert et al. 2009) prompted the implementation of a flexible simulation engine marking the initiation of the SIMPLACE framework. Thereafter, SIMPLACE, still including the above system features for Impact Assessment and Decision Support, has been further developed at the University of Bonn based on the concept of formulating an appropriate model structure for a specific research or analytical question.
An overview of the conceptual cycle of scientific questions and demands behind the development of the main features of SIMPLACE is shown in Fig. 1. The following sections describe the aims and paradigms of the framework development as well as the main features of the latest version of SIMPLACE (v5.0). A general review of scientific applications is showcased in section 4, providing a variety of topics, scales, crops and geographies over which SIMPLACE was tested and used. Finally, we identify and discuss challenges and perspectives for future improvements.
Fig. 1: Conceptual cycle of scientific questions and demands that motivated the development of SIMPLACE features over the last years. Different coloured boxes represent the scientific questions, user demands and features implemented (source: https://doi.org/10.1093/insilicoplants/diad006)