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H2020Individual fellowship2019–2021

SpaceUseDrivers · Unravellling the biological determinants of space use patterns in animals

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2019-02-01 → 2021-06-20
EU contribution
€183,455
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-ST

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Results in brief

Unravellling the biological determinants of space use patterns in animals

Animals use space in a bewildering variety of ways. Moose restrict their movements to individual home ranges, whereas Mongolian gazelles are nomadic. Bears avoid each other, but wildebeest migrate in huge groups. Intriguingly, these patterns emerge from interactions of the same basic ingredients: cognitive abilities, environmental characteristics, social behaviour, and life-history priorities. Despite the considerable implications of animal movement for ecological processes (e.g. nutrient fluxes, disease dynamics, invasions, extinctions), we surprisingly still lack an overarching theory explaining how the immense diversity of patterns arises from combinations of these mechanisms. The general aim of the project was therefore to advance our understanding of the determinants of animal space use patterns.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Patterns of space use by animals appear to be immensely diverse. However, recent work has suggested that they can all emerge from the interplay between only four drivers: cognitive abilities, movement constraints, social behaviour, and environmental conditions. Despite the considerable implications of space use patterns for ecological processes (e.g. nutrient fluxes, disease dynamics, invasions, extinctions), we still lack a unified theory of the causal links between the observed breadth of space use patterns and their drivers. This is mainly because there is little integration between field studies of the different types of movement (e.g. territoriality, nomadism, migration), and an uncomfortable divide between mechanistic movement models and data.In this project, I will combine for the first time individual-based modelling and recent advances in statistical analysis applied on a unique portfolio of tracking data comprising three ungulate, two seabird, and one fish species. This approach will enable me to 1) develop a universal individual-based model of animal movement that can generate all existing types of space use patterns, 2) infer what biological mechanisms and parameters are implied by the patterns observed in nature, and 3) introduce a new methodology to the movement ecology research field. I will use this new integrative framework to specifically investigate four hypotheses on the drivers of site fidelity (residency), spatial segregation, migration and aggregation.This project will not only greatly advance our understanding of the determinants of space use patterns, but will also be a crucial precursor to predicting how complex natural and anthropogenic environmental changes may impact animal populations.

Original text from CORDIS.

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Data: CORDIS, © European Union