Journal Article

Wavelet analysis of ecological time series

Stenseth, Nils C., Jenouvrier, Stéphanie, Vik, Jon Olav, Cazelles, Bernard, Berteaux, Dominique, Ménard, Frédéric, Chavez, Mario

2008

Overview

Wavelet analysis is a powerful tool that is already in use throughout science and engineering. The versatility and attractiveness of the wavelet approach lie in its decomposition properties, principally its time-scale localization. It is especially relevant to the analysis of non-stationary systems, i.e., systems with short-lived transient components, like those observed in ecological systems. Here, we review the basic properties of the wavelet approach for time-series analysis from an ecological perspective. Wavelet decomposition offers several advantages that are discussed in this paper and illustrated by appropriate synthetic and ecological examples. Wavelet analysis is notably free from the assumption of stationarity that makes most methods unsuitable for many ecological time series. Wavelet analysis also permits analysis of the relationships between two signals, and it is especially appropriate for following gradual change in forcing by exogenous variables.

• Publisher: Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag,Springer,Springer-Verlag,Springer Nature B.V,Springer Verlag
• Subject: Animal and plant ecology / Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Biodiversity / Biological and medical sciences / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Decomposition / Ecology / Ecology - methods / Ecosystem / engineering / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / General aspects / Hydrology/Water Resources / Life Sciences / Marine ecology / Models, Theoretical / Plant Sciences / Population Dynamics / Population ecology / Population Ecology - Original Paper / Populations and Evolution / Signal noise / Spectroscopic analysis / Statistical variance / systems analysis / Time Factors / Time series / Time series analysis / Wavelet analysis