A fundamental pattern in ecology is that smaller organisms are more abundant than larger organisms. This pattern is known as the individual size distribution (ISD), which is the frequency of all individual sizes in an ecosystem, regardless of taxon. The ISD is described by power law distribution with the form f(x)=Cxλ, and a major goal of size spectra analyses is to estimate the ISD parameter λ. However, while numerous methods have been developed to do this, they have focused almost exclusively on estimating λ from single samples. Here, we develop an extension of the truncated Pareto distribution within the probabilistic modeling language Stan. We use it to estimate multiple ISD parameters simultaneously with a hierarchical modeling approach. The most important result is the ability to examine hypotheses related to size spectra, including the assessment of fixed and random effects, within a single Bayesian generalized (non)-linear mixed model.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.