Open AccessInterpretation of Information Theory (H') as an index of comunity structure.
Author(s) -
Óscar Ubisha Hernández Almeida
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
cicimar oceánides
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2448-9123
pISSN - 1870-0713
DOI - 10.37543/oceanides.v23i1-2.41
Subject(s) - interpretation (philosophy) , diversity (politics) , computer science , basis (linear algebra) , information theory , term (time) , epistemology , management science , artificial intelligence , data science , mathematics , statistics , sociology , philosophy , engineering , geometry , anthropology , programming language , physics , quantum mechanics
Information theory (IT) has been used in the many different disciplines of communication. However, only in few cases an examination for complying with the assumptions of IT have been carried outand thus ensure that the results allow for the generation of theory. In this order, in this review several interpretations of the IT in ecological investigation are examined through consideration of the basis from which the IT algorithms have been derived, mainly H´. It was noted that three versions of the IT are used for describing ecologic phenomena, and that the measurement of information can be used as an indicator of diversity but requires conversion. Likewise, that a discrimination between diversity and informationmeasurements is convenient inasmuch the latter measures statistical structure which can be used todescribe community structure. This allows for exploring further interpretations of H´ such as its predictive capability.