Temporal mean-temporal variance relationships on log-log scale.

Abstract

These illustrative examples are selected from a continuum of variation; they do not represent distinct categories. (a) States showing sublinear (superlinear) increase in log(spatial variance) as a function of log(spatial mean) are defined as decentralizing (centralizing) states, compared to the balancing states where log(spatial variance) grows linearly with log(spatial mean). (b) States are classified by the temporal fluctuation of county population count of their most populous (on average) counties: hibernating county (county with the least temporal fluctuation), hybrid county (county with intermediate temporal fluctuation), less vibrant county (county with large temporal fluctuation) and vibrant county (county with the largest temporal fluctuation).</p