How Much Is Enough? An Empirical Test of the Resource Dispersion Hypothesis

Understanding how animals adjust their spatial and social organization to resource variability is central to ecological theory. We tested predictions of the Resource Dispersion Hypothesis (RDH) by examining how resource availability and distribution influence territory and group structure in a species highly adapted to the Anthropocene: the free-ranging dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Across rural and urban sites in India, we conducted census-based surveys and territory-based tracking over three reproductive seasons to assess spatial and social dynamics along resource gradients. Dog and resource densities were significantly higher in urban areas, but a generalized linear model revealed that resources predicted adult dog density only in rural sites, with this relationship disappearing in urban environments. Territory size varied seasonally, decreasing by 21% post-mating, and was positively correlated with resource heterogeneity, dispersion, patch richness, and male:female ratio. However, group size remained stable across seasons, suggesting a decoupling of spatial and social responses to resource distribution. These findings support the RDH and highlight the complex interplay between ecological and social factors in shaping animal behaviour within anthropogenic landscapes. The results have implications for urban wildlife management, informing targeted interventions such as waste regulation and sterilisation programmes.