WHY MOVEMENT?

December 18, 2016

For any mobile organism, movement is one of the most informative behaviors that we can study. Understanding how and why an animal moves provides key insight into the costs and benefits associated with a particular habitat: is there sufficient food in the area? Are there others with which to breed? Is this habitat more suitable in certain seasons or throughout the entire year?

In the modern era, the answers to these questions can serve an important conservation purpose. One increasingly prevalent threat to mobile organisms is that of anthropogenic activity. This can come in the form of overexploitation (hunting, fishing) or habitat loss through the development of certain areas (such as the coast). Whether affecting areas inhabited by mobile organisms or directly decreasing their populations, human activity can impact the ecosystem in ways that echo throughout the entire food web.