Maximum Entropy And Ecology

Author : John Harte
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2011-06-23
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780191621161

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Maximum Entropy and Ecology by John Harte Pdf

This pioneering graduate textbook provides readers with the concepts and practical tools required to understand the maximum entropy principle, and apply it to an understanding of ecological patterns. Rather than building and combining mechanistic models of ecosystems, the approach is grounded in information theory and the logic of inference. Paralleling the derivation of thermodynamics from the maximum entropy principle, the state variable theory of ecology developed in this book predicts realistic forms for all metrics of ecology that describe patterns in the distribution, abundance, and energetics of species over multiple spatial scales, a wide range of habitats, and diverse taxonomic groups. The first part of the book is foundational, discussing the nature of theory, the relationship of ecology to other sciences, and the concept of the logic of inference. Subsequent sections present the fundamentals of macroecology and of maximum information entropy, starting from first principles. The core of the book integrates these fundamental principles, leading to the derivation and testing of the predictions of the maximum entropy theory of ecology (METE). A final section broadens the book's perspective by showing how METE can help clarify several major issues in conservation biology, placing it in context with other theories and highlighting avenues for future research.

Author : John Harte
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2011-06-23
Category : Mathematics
ISBN : 9780199593415

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Maximum Entropy and Ecology by John Harte Pdf

Provides readers with the concepts and practical tools required to understand the maximum entropy principle, and apply it to an understanding of ecological patterns. The theory developed predicts realistic forms for all metrics of ecology that describe patterns in the distribution, abundance, and energetics of species.

Author : John Harte
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2011-06-23
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780191621673

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Maximum Entropy and Ecology by John Harte Pdf

This pioneering graduate textbook provides readers with the concepts and practical tools required to understand the maximum entropy principle, and apply it to an understanding of ecological patterns. Rather than building and combining mechanistic models of ecosystems, the approach is grounded in information theory and the logic of inference. Paralleling the derivation of thermodynamics from the maximum entropy principle, the state variable theory of ecology developed in this book predicts realistic forms for all metrics of ecology that describe patterns in the distribution, abundance, and energetics of species over multiple spatial scales, a wide range of habitats, and diverse taxonomic groups. The first part of the book is foundational, discussing the nature of theory, the relationship of ecology to other sciences, and the concept of the logic of inference. Subsequent sections present the fundamentals of macroecology and of maximum information entropy, starting from first principles. The core of the book integrates these fundamental principles, leading to the derivation and testing of the predictions of the maximum entropy theory of ecology (METE). A final section broadens the book's perspective by showing how METE can help clarify several major issues in conservation biology, placing it in context with other theories and highlighting avenues for future research.

Author : S.E. Jorgensen
Publisher : Elsevier
Page : 388 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2004-07-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 008044167X

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Towards a Thermodynamic Theory for Ecological Systems by S.E. Jorgensen Pdf

The book presents a consistent and complete ecosystem theory based on thermodynamic concepts. The first chapters are devoted to an interpretation of the first and second law of thermodynamics in ecosystem context. Then Prigogine's use of far from equilibrium thermodynamic is used on ecosystems to explain their reactions to perturbations. The introduction of the concept exergy makes it possible to give a more profound and comprehensive explanation of the ecosystem's reactions and growth-patterns. A tentative fourth law of thermodynamic is formulated and applied to facilitate these explanations. The trophic chain, the global energy and radiation balance and pattern and the reactions of ecological networks are all explained by the use of exergy. Finally, it is discussed how the presented theory can be applied more widely to explain ecological observations and rules, to assess ecosystem health and to develop ecological models.

Author : Samuel M. Scheiner,Michael R. Willig
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 416 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2011-07-15
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780226736860

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The Theory of Ecology by Samuel M. Scheiner,Michael R. Willig Pdf

Despite claims to the contrary, the science of ecology has a long history of building theories. Many ecological theories are mathematical, computational, or statistical, though, and rarely have attempts been made to organize or extrapolate these models into broader theories. The Theory of Ecology brings together some of the most respected and creative theoretical ecologists of this era to advance a comprehensive, conceptual articulation of ecological theories. The contributors cover a wide range of topics, from ecological niche theory to population dynamic theory to island biogeography theory. Collectively, the chapters ably demonstrate how theory in ecology accounts for observations about the natural world and how models provide predictive understandings. It organizes these models into constitutive domains that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of ecological understanding. This book is a milestone in ecological theory and is certain to motivate future empirical and theoretical work in one of the most exciting and active domains of the life sciences.

Author : Tom Leinster
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 457 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2021-04-22
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781108832700

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Entropy and Diversity by Tom Leinster Pdf

Discover the mathematical riches of 'what is diversity?' in a book that adds mathematical rigour to a vital ecological debate.

Author : Axel Kleidon,Ralph D. Lorenz
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2004-11-18
Category : Science
ISBN : 3540224955

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Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics and the Production of Entropy by Axel Kleidon,Ralph D. Lorenz Pdf

The present volume studies the application of concepts from non-equilibrium thermodynamics to a variety of research topics. Emphasis is on the Maximum Entropy Production (MEP) principle and applications to Geosphere-Biosphere couplings. Written by leading researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, the book presents a first coherent account of an emerging field at the interface of thermodynamics, geophysics and life sciences.

Author : V.P. Singh
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 382 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2013-04-17
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789401714310

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Entropy-Based Parameter Estimation in Hydrology by V.P. Singh Pdf

Since the pioneering work of Shannon in the late 1940's on the development of the theory of entropy and the landmark contributions of Jaynes a decade later leading to the development of the principle of maximum entropy (POME), the concept of entropy has been increasingly applied in a wide spectrum of areas, including chemistry, electronics and communications engineering, data acquisition and storage and retreival, data monitoring network design, ecology, economics, environmental engineering, earth sciences, fluid mechanics, genetics, geology, geomorphology, geophysics, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, hydrology, image processing, management sciences, operations research, pattern recognition and identification, photogrammetry, psychology, physics and quantum mechanics, reliability analysis, reservoir engineering, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, topology, transportation engineering, turbulence modeling, and so on. New areas finding application of entropy have since continued to unfold. The entropy concept is indeed versatile and its applicability widespread. In the area of hydrology and water resources, a range of applications of entropy have been reported during the past three decades or so. This book focuses on parameter estimation using entropy for a number of distributions frequently used in hydrology. In the entropy-based parameter estimation the distribution parameters are expressed in terms of the given information, called constraints. Thus, the method lends itself to a physical interpretation of the parameters. Because the information to be specified usually constitutes sufficient statistics for the distribution under consideration, the entropy method provides a quantitative way to express the information contained in the distribution.

Author : Sean Carroll
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 268 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2022-09-15
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780861542895

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The Biggest Ideas in the Universe 1 by Sean Carroll Pdf

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ‘Sean Carroll has achieved something I thought impossible: a bridge between popular science and the mathematical universe of working physicists. Magnificent!’ Brian Clegg, author of Ten Days in Physics that Shook the World Immense, strange and infinite, the world of modern physics often feels impenetrable to the undiscerning eye – a jumble of muons, gluons and quarks, impossible to explain without several degrees and a research position at CERN. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Allow world-renowned theoretical physicist and bestselling author Sean Carroll to guide you through the biggest ideas in the universe. Elegant and simple, Carroll unravels this web of theories and formulae equation by equation, getting to the heart of the truths they represent. — In Space, Time and Motion, the first book of this landmark trilogy, Carroll delves into the core of classical physics. From Euclid to Einstein, Space, Time and Motion explores the ideas which revolutionised science and forever changed our understanding of our place in the cosmos.

Author : Eric D. Schneider,Dorion Sagan
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 382 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2005-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780226739366

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Into the Cool by Eric D. Schneider,Dorion Sagan Pdf

The authors look to the laws of thermodynamics for answers to the questions of evolution, ecology, economics, and even life's origin.

Author : FORT
Publisher : IOP ebooks
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2022-11-30
Category : Entropy (Information theory)
ISBN : 0750339292

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Forecasting with Maximum Entropy Hb by FORT Pdf

This book aims at providing a unifying framework, based on Information Entropy and its maximization, to connect the phenomenology of evolutionary biology, community ecology, financial economics, and statistical physics. This more comprehensive view, besides providing further insight into problems, enables problem-solving strategies by applying proven methods in one discipline to formally similar problems in other areas. The book also proposes a forecasting method for important practical problems in these disciplines and is directed to researchers, students and practitioners working on modelling the dynamics of complex systems. The common thread is how the flux of information both controls and serves to predict the dynamics of complex systems. It is shown how maximizing the Shannon information entropy allows one to infer a central object controlling the dynamics of complex systems, such as ecosystems or markets. The resulting models, which are known as pairwise maximum-entropy models, can be used to infer interactions from data in a wide variety of systems. Here, two examples are analysed in detail. The first is an application to conservation ecology, namely the issue of providing early warning indicators of population crashes of species of trees in tropical forests. The second is about forecasting the market values of firms through evolutionary economics. An interesting lesson is that PME modelling often produces accurate predictions despite not incorporating explicit interaction mechanisms. Key features Written to be suitable for a broad spectrum of readers and assumes little mathematical specialism. Includes pedagogical features: Worked examples, case studies and summaries. The interdisciplinary approach builds bridges between disciplines. Oriented to solve practical problems. Includes a combination of analytical derivations and numerical simulations with experiments

Author : John N. Thompson
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 456 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2005-06-15
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780226797625

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The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution by John N. Thompson Pdf

Coevolution—reciprocal evolutionary change in interacting species driven by natural selection—is one of the most important ecological and genetic processes organizing the earth's biodiversity: most plants and animals require coevolved interactions with other species to survive and reproduce. The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution analyzes how the biology of species provides the raw material for long-term coevolution, evaluates how local coadaptation forms the basic module of coevolutionary change, and explores how the coevolutionary process reshapes locally coevolving interactions across the earth's constantly changing landscapes. Picking up where his influential The Coevolutionary Process left off, John N. Thompsonsynthesizes the state of a rapidly developing science that integrates approaches from evolutionary ecology, population genetics, phylogeography, systematics, evolutionary biochemistry and physiology, and molecular biology. Using models, data, and hypotheses to develop a complete conceptual framework, Thompson also draws on examples from a wide range of taxa and environments, illustrating the expanding breadth and depth of research in coevolutionary biology.

Author : Ichiro Aoki
Publisher : Elsevier
Page : 123 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2012-01-25
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780123944047

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Entropy Principle for the Development of Complex Biotic Systems by Ichiro Aoki Pdf

The concept of entropy in thermodynamics is a complex one, though it is fundamental in understanding physics, the workings of the mind, and biology. Entropy is the measure of the quality of energy, and it can also refer to the turn from order to disorder or randomness in isolated systems. In open systems, such as biology, entropy is formulated in terms of production and energy flow. This book establishes a novel view of complex biological systems and the earth using this concept of entropy, encompassing the interdisciplinary area of biology, ecology and physics. This book considers the development over time of a range of biologically complex systems such as plants, animals, humans, and ecosystems, describing them in terms of the second law of thermodynamics, entropy. With its broad coverage of biological systems, this book will be useful for students of environmental science as well as students in biology and physics. Includes discussion of multiple complex systems including the earth and biological systems within it. Suitable for those with little physics background who wish to learn how the laws of physics apply to ecological systems. Clearly organized by system, making information easy to access.

Author : Mark Vellend
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 246 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2020-09-15
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691208992

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The Theory of Ecological Communities (MPB-57) by Mark Vellend Pdf

A plethora of different theories, models, and concepts make up the field of community ecology. Amid this vast body of work, is it possible to build one general theory of ecological communities? What other scientific areas might serve as a guiding framework? As it turns out, the core focus of community ecology—understanding patterns of diversity and composition of biological variants across space and time—is shared by evolutionary biology and its very coherent conceptual framework, population genetics theory. The Theory of Ecological Communities takes this as a starting point to pull together community ecology's various perspectives into a more unified whole. Mark Vellend builds a theory of ecological communities based on four overarching processes: selection among species, drift, dispersal, and speciation. These are analogues of the four central processes in population genetics theory—selection within species, drift, gene flow, and mutation—and together they subsume almost all of the many dozens of more specific models built to describe the dynamics of communities of interacting species. The result is a theory that allows the effects of many low-level processes, such as competition, facilitation, predation, disturbance, stress, succession, colonization, and local extinction to be understood as the underpinnings of high-level processes with widely applicable consequences for ecological communities. Reframing the numerous existing ideas in community ecology, The Theory of Ecological Communities provides a new way for thinking about biological composition and diversity.

Author : László Orlóci
Publisher : Balogh Scientific Books
Page : 88 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 1991
Category : Science
ISBN : CORNELL:31924059789473

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Entropy and Information by László Orlóci Pdf