Estimating the richness of a population when the maximum number of classes is fixed: a nonparametric solution to an archaeological problem.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Estimating assemblage species or class richness from samples remains a challenging, but essential, goal. Though a variety of statistical tools for estimating species or class richness have been developed, they are all singly-bounded: assuming only a lower bound of species or classes. Nevertheless there are numerous situations, particularly in the cultural realm, where the maximum number of classes is fixed. For this reason, a new method is needed to estimate richness when both upper and lower bounds are known.

Methodology/principal findings

Here, we introduce a new method for estimating class richness: doubly-bounded confidence intervals (both lower and upper bounds are known). We specifically illustrate our new method using the Chao1 estimator, rarefaction, and e

SUBMITTER: Eren MI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3362599 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature