A guide for studying among-individual behavioral variation from movement data in the wild

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Movement Ecology
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Animal tracking generates vast datasets on individual movement behaviors.
• Traditionally, variation around population means in movement data is considered 'noise'.
• Behavioral ecology increasingly focuses on the biological basis of individual behavioral variation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for partitioning behavioral variability in animal movements to integrate movement ecology with broader behavioral ecology.
• To review literature demonstrating the value of individual movement differences for wildlife and conservation.
• To provide statistical guidance and recommendations for data requirements to study individual variation in movement.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on individual differences in animal movement behaviors.
• Analysis of movement data from 35 African elephants using statistical approaches for quantifying among-individual variation.
• An accompanying R tutorial detailing statistical methods for analyzing behavioral variability.

Main Results:

• Elephants exhibit significant among-individual variation in average movement behaviors, behavioral plasticity (responsiveness to temporal gradients), and behavioral predictability.
• A behavioral syndrome was identified, correlating farther movement with shorter mean residence times in elephants.
• Individual differences in movement and predictability have potential implications for hunting/poaching risks and population viability.

Conclusions:

• Partitioning behavioral variability in animal movements enhances the integration of movement ecology with other fields.
• Individual variation in movement behaviors is crucial for wildlife and conservation studies.
• Encouraging movement ecologists to explore the biological underpinnings of individual variation in animal movements.