Uncovering multiple influences on space use by deer mice using large ecological networks

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Animal Behavior
• Spatial Ecology

Background:

• Animal space use is influenced by various factors including sex, body condition, and population density.
• Previous studies faced limitations in sample size, hindering the evaluation of simultaneous influences on home range area.
• The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) provides extensive data for ecological research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factors determining space use in deer mice (genus Peromyscus).
• To analyze the simultaneous influences of phenotypic and extrinsic factors on home range area.
• To leverage large-scale ecological data for understanding complex animal behavior.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 10 years of capture-recapture data for individually-identified deer mice from 36 NEON sites across North America.
• Employed a robust statistical framework to analyze a large sample size (N=2,420 individuals).
• Examined the interacting effects of sex, body condition, animal density, habitat type, and latitude on space use.

Main Results:

• Confirmed that males exhibit larger home ranges than females.
• Observed a decrease in home range area with increasing animal density.
• Identified that the relationship between body condition and home range area varies between sexes.
• Found significant interactions between habitat type, latitude, and animal density in influencing space use.

Conclusions:

• Large ecological networks, like NEON, are valuable for addressing complex behavioral questions previously limited by sample size.
• Deer mouse space use is a result of intricate interactions between individual traits and environmental factors.
• Findings advance our understanding of spatial ecology and the drivers of animal behavior.