Regression Models, Fantastic Beasts, and Where to Find Them: A Simple Tutorial for Ecologists Using R

Abstract

Regression modeling is a workhorse of statistical ecology that allows to find relationships between a response variable and a set of explanatory variables. Despite being one of the fundamental statistical ideas in ecological curricula, regression modeling can be complex and subtle. This paper is intended as an applied protocol to help students understand the data, select the most appropriate models, verify assumptions, and interpret the output. Basic ecological questions are tackled using data from a fictional series, “ Fantastic beasts and where to find them,” with the aim to show how statistical thinking can foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in ecology, from the formulation of hypotheses to the interpretation of results.