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Strategies for fitting nonlinear ecological models in R, AD Model Builder, and BUGS
Citation
Bolker, BM and Gardner, B and Maunder, M and Berg, CW and Brooks, M and Comita, L and Crone, E and Cubaynes, S and Davies, T and de Valpine, P and Ford, JH and Gimenez, O and Kery, M and Jung Kim, E and Lennert- Cody, C and Magnusson, A and Martell, S and Nash, J and Nielsen, A and Regetz, J and Skaug, H and Zipkin, E, Strategies for fitting nonlinear ecological models in R, AD Model Builder, and BUGS, Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 4, (6) pp. 501-512. ISSN 2041-210X (2013) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2013 The Authors. Methods in Ecology and Evolution Copyright 2013 British Ecological Society
DOI: doi:10.1111/2041-210X.12044
Abstract
1. Ecologists often use nonlinear fitting techniques to estimate the parameters of complex ecological models,
with attendant frustration. This paper compares three open-source model fitting tools and discusses general strategies
for defining and fitting models.
2. R is convenient and (relatively) easy to learn, AD Model Builder is fast and robust but comes with a steep
learning curve, while BUGS provides the greatest flexibility at the price of speed.
3. Our model-fitting suggestions range from general cultural advice (where possible, use the tools and models
that are most common in your subfield) to specific suggestions about how to change the mathematical description
of models to make them more amenable to parameter estimation.
4. A companion web site (https://groups.nceas.ucsb.edu/nonlinear-modeling/projects) presents detailed examples
of application of the three tools to a variety of typical ecological estimation problems; each example links
both to a detailed project report and to full source code and data.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
| Research Group: | Ecology |
| Research Field: | Ecology not elsewhere classified |
| Objective Division: | Environment |
| Objective Group: | Ecosystem Assessment and Management |
| Objective Field: | Ecosystem Assessment and Management not elsewhere classified |
| UTAS Author: | Ford, JH (Ms Jessica Ford) |
| ID Code: | 89600 |
| Year Published: | 2013 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 66 |
| Deposited By: | IMAS Research and Education Centre |
| Deposited On: | 2014-03-07 |
| Last Modified: | 2014-05-06 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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