The Use of Information Theory in the Modeling of Natural Systems

AbstractSystems investigated by geographers include components of inert nature, living organisms and social phenomena. The use of information theory makes it possible to overcome some of the problems involved in the modeling of systems consisting of such a diversity of elements, particularly the problem of a single system of units. The building of inductive models of natural systems is designed to identify the programs of behavior of natural complexes, which in the original systems are merged with structure. An example of such an inductive model is the model of the structure of a southern tayga landscape system. It was built by identifying information relationships between 160 elements on the basis of the equation: JAB = HA+HB—HAB, where JAB is the amount of transmitted information, and HA, HB, HAB are the entropies of the receiver, of the transmitter and their joint entropy. The model interrelated a number of properties of soils, unconsolidated sediment, groundwater, relief, plant cover and microclimate....