Consider the following problem. You are given an alphabet of k distinct symbols and are told that the i symbol occurred exactly ni times in the past. On the basis of this information alone, you must now estimate the conditional probability that the next symbol will be i. In this report, we present a new solution to this fundamental problem in statistics and demonstrate that our solution outperf...

Consider the problem of multinomial estimation. You are given an alphabet of distinct symbols and are told the frequency with which each symbol occurred in the past. On the basis of this information alone, you must now estimate the symbol probabilities. In this report, we present a new solution to this fundamental problem in statistics and demonstrate that our solution outperforms standard appr...

Ecologists have documented the process of plant succession for centuries, yet the successional patterns exhibited by microbial communities have received relatively little attention. We examine recent work on microbial succession and show how, despite some key differences, studies of plant succession can serve as a template for understanding microbial succession. We divide the broad range of pat...

We investigate the use of instance-based ranking methods for surface realization in natural language generation. Our approach to instance-based natural language generation (IBNLG) employs two components: a rule system that ‘overgenerates’ a number of realization candidates from a meaning representation and an instance-based ranker that scores the candidates according to their similarity to exam...

Classical concepts of post-disturbance succession through well-defined sera1 stages to a well-defined climax stage(s) are not a useful conceptual framework for predicting species composition of regeneration resulting from the application of regeneration treatments in complex southern hardwood forests. Hardwood regeneration can be better understood, and more useful prediction models can be devel...

Senior Tutor in Zoology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, N.S.W., 2033, Australia. Abstract: Multiple linear regression equations describe responses for both taxa to temporal, floristic and structural vegetation change. Mammal succession is a replacement of dominant species, ant succession is a replacement of groups of species. Many plant species show adaptations to frequent burning a...

Classical concepts of post-disturbance succession through well-defined seral stages to a well-defined ,climax stage( s) are not a useful conceptual framework for predicting species composition of regeneration resulting from the application of regeneration treatments in complex southern hardwood forests. Hardwood regeneration can be better understood, and more useful prediction models can be dev...

Volcanic eruptions are major natural disturbances with varied and complex consequences. Recent studies of how plants colonize newly created volcanic surfaces already have begun to clarify our understanding of succession. Because volcanoes create disturbance mosaics, it is imperative that we more fully understand the biotic responses. The 1883 eruption of Krakatau captured the world’s imaginatio...

Analyzing the dynamic patterns of species diversity and spatial heterogeneity of vegetation in grasslands during secondary succession could help with the maintenance and management of these ecosystems. Here, we evaluated the influence of secondary succession on grassland plant diversity and spatial heterogeneity of abandoned croplands on the Loess Plateau (China) during four phases of recovery:...