Taylor's power law for ecological communities: an explanation on nonextensive/nonlinear statistical grounds

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A new idea on how to conceptually interpret the so-called Taylor’s power law for ecological communities is presented. The core of our approach is based on nonextensive/nonlinear statistical concepts, which are shown to be at the genesis of all power laws, particularly when a system is constituted by long-range interacting elements. In this context, the ubiquity of the Taylor’s power law is discussed and addressed by showing that long-range interactions are at the heart of the internal dynamics of populations.