Meta-analysis in applied ecology

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This overview examines research synthesis in applied ecology and conservation. Vote counting and pooling unweighted averages are widespread despite the superiority of syntheses based on weighted combination of effects. Such analyses allow exploration of methodological uncertainty in addition to consistency of effects across species, space and time, but exploring heterogeneity remains controversial. Meta-analyses are required to generalize in ecology, and to inform evidence-based decision-making, but the more sophisticated statistical techniques and registers of research used in other disciplines must be employed in ecology to fully realize their benefits.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)78-81
Number of pages4
JournalBiology letters
Volume6
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Feb 2010

Keywords

  • evidence synthesis
  • effect size
  • Bayesian
  • uncertainty
  • decision analysis
  • bias
  • MAXIMUM REPRODUCTIVE RATE
  • POPULATIONS
  • IMPACTS
  • STATISTICS
  • MEDICINE
  • FISH
  • MASS

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