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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 21, 2025

Conditions Affecting Social Space in Drosophila melanogaster

Conditions Affecting Social Space in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: November 5, 2015

Density-dependent plasticity in territoriality revealed using social network analysis.

Quinn M R Webber^1,2, Ben Dantzer^3,4, Jeffrey E Lane⁵

¹Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.

The Journal of Animal Ecology

|November 17, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Territory size and intrusion rates in red squirrels decrease with higher population density, especially after abundant food years. Individual squirrels show varied responses to these density changes.

Keywords:

intrusion plasticity red squirrels repeatability social network analysis territoriality

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Last Updated: Aug 21, 2025

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Behavioral Ecology
Population Dynamics

Background:

Territoriality is typically defined by spatial exclusivity and defense against conspecifics.
Territoriality is inherently density-dependent, influenced by resource distribution and abundance.
Understanding density-dependent territorial phenotypes is crucial for ecological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess the effects of changing population density and food availability on territorial phenotypes.
To model density-dependent territorial phenotypes using a novel analytical framework.
To investigate plasticity in territory size and intrusion rates in North American red squirrels.

Main Methods:

Developed a novel analytical framework bridging spatially explicit territories with social network analysis.
Modeled plasticity in territory size and territory intrusion rates.
Utilized data from a long-term study population of North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus).

Main Results:

Territory size and territorial intrusions exhibited negative density dependence.
Increased population density after mast years led to smaller territories and fewer intrusions.
Individual squirrels displayed varied plasticity in response to population density changes within their lifetime.

Conclusions:

Territory size and intrusion rates are negatively density dependent in red squirrels.
Shrinking territories around middens occur when food is abundant and density increases.
Ecological relationship dynamics can be system-specific, highlighting the importance of context.