A Primer Of Ecological Statistics [Paperback]

Nicholas J. Gotelli (Author), Aaron M. Ellison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0878932690 | ISBN-13: 978-0878932696 | Edition: 1

A Primer of Ecological Statistics explains fundamental material in probability theory and experimental design for ecologists and environmental scientists. The book emphasizes a general introduction to probability theory and provides a detailed discussion of specific designs and analyses that are typically encountered in ecology and environmental science. Appropriate for use as either a stand-alone or supplementary text for upper-division undergraduate or graduate courses in ecological and environmental statistics, ecology, environmental science, environmental studies, or experimental design, the Primer also serves as a resource for environmental professionals who need to use and interpret statistics daily but have little or no formal training in the subject. <P>The book is divided into three parts. Part I discusses the fundamentals of probability and statistical thinking. It introduces the logic and language of probability (Chapter 1), explains common statistical distributions used in ecology (Chapter 2) and important measures of central tendency and spread (Chapter 3), explains P-values, hypothesis testing, and statistical errors (Chapter 4), and introduces frequentist, Bayesian, and Monte Carlo methods of analysis (Chapter 5). <P>Part II discusses how to successfully design and execute field experiments and sampling studies. Topics include design strategies (Chapter 6), a "bestiary" of experimental designs (Chapter 7), and transformations and data management (Chapter 8). <P>Part III discusses specific analyses, and covers the material that is the main core of most statistics texts. Topics include regression (Chapter 9), analysis of variance (Chapter 10), categorical data analysis (Chapter 11), and multivariate analysis (Chapter 12). <P>The book includes a comprehensive glossary, a mathematical appendix on matrix algebra, and extensively annotated tables and figures. Footnotes introduce advanced and ancillary material: some are purely historical, others cover mathematical/statistical proofs or details, and still others address current topics in the ecological literature.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In short, only positive superlatives come to mind to describe the merit of this book. Its obvious strength is that is was written by ecologists for ecologists. From now on, I will use this textbook to teach statistics to undergraduate students and I will suggest it to graduate students and researchers who need to refresh their statistical knowledge. --Marie-Josée Fortin, Écoscience

This volume provides a wonderful review of traditional statistical methods. It is also an introduction to new statistical ideas. I highly recommend it. --Philip M. Dixon, The Quarterly Review of Biology

About the Author

Nicholas J. Gotelli is Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Vermont. He graduated with a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1980, and earned his Ph.D. at Florida State University in 1985. He is also the author of A Primer of Ecology, third edition (2001, Sinauer Associates, Inc.), Null Models in Ecology (with Gary R. Graves; 1996, Smithsonian Press), and EcoSim, an ecological software package. Dr. Gotelli currently serves on the Board of Editors of Ecology and Ecology Letters. His research interests include: the evolutionary ecology of carnivorous plants, biogeography, null model analysis of community structure, ant diversity, and demography. Aaron M. Ellison is Senior Research Fellow in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at the Harvard Forest, and Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He received a B.A. in 1982 from Yale University, and a Ph.D. from Brown University in 1986. Dr. Ellison received the National Science Foundation's Presidential Faculty Fellow award in 1992 for 'demonstrated excellence and continued promise both in scientific and engineering research and in teaching future generations of students to extend and apply human knowledge.' His research foci include: food web dynamics, community ecology of wetlands and forests, evolutionary ecology of carnivorous plants, and the application of Bayesian inference to ecological research and environmental decision-making. Dr. Ellison currently serves as Associate Editor-in-Chief of Ecology and Ecological Monographs, with primary responsibility for statistically oriented manuscripts

Product Details

• Paperback: 492 pages
• Publisher: Sinauer Associates; 1 edition (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878932690
• ISBN-13: 978-0878932696
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Ecology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Statistics for people with muddy boots, April 5, 2005

By 

Michael Meredith - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Primer Of Ecological Statistics (Paperback)

I was delighted with this book, because it fits some of my own prejudices about statistics!

We agree that the mechanics of statistical analysis are not the most important part of statistics for ecological studies. After all, for the last couple of decades the brunt of this has been borne by computers and software engineers. Much more important is that researchers understand what the computer output means. And Gotelli and Ellison devote most of their book to this.

Too many people collect data, then try to work out how to analyse it and what conclusions to draw. It's better to decide on the research question right at the start, then decide what kind of analysis is appropriate, and then what numbers you need to collect. The main part of this book is about this study design process.

In addition to the conventional frequentist approach, the book introduces Monte Carlo methods and Bayesian thinking. (I was interested to see that they reject non-parametric methods out of hand, recommending the use of Monte Carlo methods instead.) Moreover, they deal with parameter estimation and model building as well as hypothesis testing.

Written by ecologists for ecologists, it is remarkably clear and easy to read. You don't need much math to be able to follow the arguments, and numerical examples are there. (I for one can't cope with too much algebra; I need to see some numbers slotted in and results come out.) The final chapter is an exception, as it uses matrix algebra, but there's enough explanation of this in an appendix. Remember that the number crunching will be done by your statistical package: it will probably do things right if you ask it to do the right things, and this book is a guide to the right things to do with your data.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Primer is truly helpful, March 3, 2006

By 

Matthew T. Distler (Syracuse, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Primer Of Ecological Statistics (Paperback)

I have found this treatment of statistics unusually lucid and practical for the ecologist (or, I imagine, other scientist) desiring a better understanding of statistics and guidance in practical use of various types of statistical analysis. Unlike many statistical texts, it takes an almost conversational tone in explaining many concepts, using clear examples to illustrate various statistical approaches. While it is not as complete or detailed as larger statistical texts, it covers the fundamentals of most of the important tests and methods ecologists use on a day-to-day basis. One area of weakness is the treatment of classical non-parametric analyses, which Gotelli trades in entirely for Bayesian or Monte Carlo methods.

All in all, a very useful book for an aspiring ecologist to have on his or her bookshelf.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely the best intro stats book for ecologists, April 3, 2007

By 

Michael Sandel (Tuscaloosa, AL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Primer Of Ecological Statistics (Paperback)

I'm a biologist and a writer. I am not a mathematician. This book presents a broad array of statistical concepts in a way that even I can understand. You won't have to reread paragraph after paragraph, because the text is completely straightforward. Don't expect to use this as your stand-alone statistics reference, but do expect to use it as a primary source for ecology-related techniques. A "must have" for all biologists.