Arizona State University (ASU) BIO320 Fundamentals of Ecology Exam 3 Practice

A distribution that appears normal when plotted on a logarithmic scale is identified as a lognormal distribution. This means that the logarithm of the variable being analyzed tends to follow a normal distribution. In ecological contexts, lognormal distributions are commonly observed in various biological phenomena, such as species abundance, where a few species are very common while many others are rare. This characteristic can be attributed to the multiplicative processes in nature, where variables multiply together to result in a product that exhibits lognormal behavior.

The lognormal distribution is significant because it effectively describes data that are skewed and cannot be adequately captured with a standard normal distribution. When viewed on a log scale, the data transforms such that the central tendency and variability adhere to the properties of a normal distribution, simplifying analysis and interpretation.