Density-dependent network structuring within and across wild animal systems

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Network Science
• Animal Behaviour

Background:

• Population density influences animal social and spatial networks.
• Understanding individual network positions in relation to density is crucial for predicting density-dependent processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how local population density affects individual network centrality in wild animal populations.
• To determine if density-dependent network changes differ between spatial and social connections.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed 36 datasets covering spatial and social behavior of over 58,000 individuals across 30 species.
• Quantified relationships between local density and network centrality across diverse taxa.

Main Results:

• 80% of systems showed positive density-network centrality relationships.
• Most relationships (>80%) were nonlinear and saturated at higher densities (75%).
• Spatial networks showed stronger, less saturating density effects than social networks.

Conclusions:

• Density fundamentally shapes individual network positions in wild animals.
• Saturating trends suggest counteracting demographic and behavioral mechanisms.
• Spatial connections are more density-dependent than social ones, impacting ecological processes.