Considering ecological dynamics in resource selection functions.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Wildlife Biology
• Spatial Ecology

Background:

• Describing organism distribution and abundance is fundamental to understanding ecological interactions.
• Resource Selection Functions (RSFs) are increasingly used to quantify how animals select habitats.
• RSFs are defined by resource unit characteristics, with values proportional to usage probability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate the interpretation of RSF models by integrating ecological theory.
• To identify factors influencing ecologically based variations in RSFs.
• To enhance the robustness of models for forecasting animal spatial distribution.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing binomial generalized linear models to solve RSFs.
• Exploring the inclusion of random and fixed effects in resource selection models.
• Considering matched case-control logistic regression for model development.

Main Results:

• Ecological dynamics in RSFs, such as changes over time or space, indicate varying underlying ecological processes.
• Factors like competition, density-dependent selection, predation, resource availability, and functional responses influence RSFs.
• The inclusion of ecological theory and advanced statistical methods promises more accurate RSF models.

Conclusions:

• Interpreting RSFs requires a strong foundation in ecological theory to understand variations.
• Accounting for ecological factors leads to more robust models for predicting animal distribution.
• Investigating RSF dynamics deepens our understanding of species distribution and abundance drivers.