AMoveE 2014: Scott LaPoint
Channel: Movebank
Date: 2014-05-20

This tutorial was presented by Scott LaPoint on 7 May 2014 as part of the Symposium on Animal Movement and the Environment, held at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.

LaPoint S, 2014, "Animal-defined movement corridors"

Abstract: Landscape connectivity is integral for preserving ecosystem function. Models that identify landscape features that promote connectivity (e.g., corridors) are powerful and increasingly employed, yet require assumptions on animal movement that may unnecessarily generalize animal behavior. We developed a simple model of "corridor behavior" based on the speed and turning angles from GPS- tracking collars deployed on free-ranging individuals. We compared our model corridor identifications with those predicted by two popular resistance-based models (i.e., least-cost path analysis and circuit theory) using detection rates of camera traps. The cost-based models poorly predicted the location of the observed corridors. We believe this is due not to the models themselves, but because the information used to build the resistance layers ignores the distinction between corridor use and habitat selection.

The purpose of this tutorial is to introduce attendees to the animal-defined corridor model with the program R function corridor of the move package. Attendees must come with the most recent versions of program R and the move package installed on their own machines. For those unfamiliar with the move package there is an introduction tutorial beforehand. I will provide an overview of the animal-defined model and show attendees how to import animal location data from www.movebank.org via the move package. Then, we will work through the steps of the corridor function with data and step descriptions. We will end with questions, comments, and opportunities for attendees to explore the corridor function with their own data.

Reference: LaPoint S.D., Gallery P., Wikelski M., Kays R. (2013) Animal behavior, cost-based corridors, and real corridors. Landscape Ecology, 28: 1615--1630.