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''Y = β X<sup>α</sup>''
where "Y" is an biological variable (such as tree height or DBH), "β" is a proportionality coefficient, "α" is the scaling exponent (which is equal to the slope of the line when plotted on logarithmic coordinates), and "X" is some physical measure such as body volume or body mass(M). While α is often quiet similar between very diverse organisms, β differs from species to species. Because the proportionality constant(β) and the scaling exponents(α) are often denoted using Greek letters, it is desirable to use β as the proportionality coefficient versus α, since α could be misread as the symbol for "
A well-known allometric equation relates metabolic rate to body mass: Y = βM 3/4.
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