Reinterpreting maximum entropy in ecology: a null hypothesis constrained by ecological mechanism

• DOI: 10.1111/ele.12788
• Publication Date: 2017-06-23T18:13:00Z
• Authors: James P. O’Dwyer; Andrew Rominger; Xiao Xiao
• Keywords: Null model; Theoretical ecology; Relative abundance distribution; State variable

Simplified mechanistic models in ecology have been criticised for the fact that a good fit to data does not imply mechanism is true: pattern equal process. In parallel, maximum entropy principle (MaxEnt) has applied make predictions constrained by just handful of state variables, like total abundance or species richness. But an outstanding question remains: what tells us which variables constrain? Here we attempt solve both problems simultaneously, translating given set mechanisms into be used MaxEnt, and then using this MaxEnt theory as null model against compare predictions. particular, identify sufficient statistics needed parametrise from use them constraints. Our approach isolates exactly telling over above alone.