I am gathering bibliography around home range measurement with the traditional method, alias observation.
- Do you have studies to suggest?
- In particular, are you aware of recent publications, say within the last 15 years, still using observation?
- Do you think this can still be a valuable way to measure home range size of some species, as, free-ranging dogs living around a neighbour?
Thanks!
I think that the methodology and techniques that could be used depends on your subject animals.
Yasuyuki Muroyama, thank you for your comment. What are your thoughts then regarding the case of free ranging dogs, all living around a relatively small area?
I think that various ways have been developed to be used for collecting data and analyzed. However, it is difficult to suggest better methods in your field conditions such as resource (money, knowledge, technique, personnel, etc.) and your ultimate aims of your study. For example, if you could capture all target dogs and attached data loggers or GPS for a adequate time, you could get simply what you want. But dogs behaviors may be dependent on other dogs. In this case, home ranges of each dog may be over– or underestimated in the case of no dogs around the target dog. Accordingly, the methods you should use depends on your purpose of your study. That is what I would like to say. Simple observation of fission–fusion groups of dogs could be analyzed by social network analysis method to know social structure of dogs in the area, though this cannot provide home range data.
Dear Yasuyuki Muroyama
Thank you for your valuable opinion and suggestions. I will keep those in mind for considerations and future actions.
Your example of attaching a GPS to dogs would have been ideal, but that was not doable for several reasons. Though, preliminary and specific observations suggesting that dogs have a recurring home range pattern has allowed to gather data by empirical observations.
If you are curious to check at previous empirical data collections, please check infographics by this link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WxBcF351cLFVvhVH6
Would you have any other consideration, idea or suggestion,
I'll be more than glad to hearing from you!
Thank you and Best Wishes.
Marco
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Bioecology
- Systems Ecology
- Landscape Ecology
- Connectivity