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The importance of non‐linearity: A comment on the views of Taylor
Author(s) -
Itô Yosiaki,
Kitching R. L.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
population ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1438-390X
pISSN - 1438-3896
DOI - 10.1007/bf02515533
Subject(s) - distribution (mathematics) , power (physics) , power law , taylor series , linearity , statistics , relation (database) , statistical physics , biology , law , econometrics , mathematics , mathematical analysis , thermodynamics , physics , computer science , data mining , political science , quantum mechanics
Summary Taylor's (1984) view that his power law is better measurement of the distribution pattern of animals than 1/ k, I ρ andm * − m relation because almost all the data on means and variances of given species could be fitted by the power low, was critisized. Changes in values of 1/ k, I ρ andm * / m suggest the change of distribution pattern of the species, but the data can still be fitted by the power law because of the great linearizing power of log‐log plots, and, using the power law only, we shall overlook the information on the meaningful changes in the distribution pattern.