COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: QEIB: Resource Predictability and Dispersal Strategies in Ungulates: Does Temporal Uncertainty Lead to Nomadism?

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

Resource Predictability and Movement Strategies in Ungulates: Does Temporal Uncertainty Lead to Nomadism? The movements of all animals are affected by their need for resources such as food. Where and how quickly animals move often depends on where the best vegetation resources can be found and how predictable this food is from year to year. Some ungulate species with predictable environments migrate seasonally; caribou and wildebeest are examples of this. A few other species - gazelles, for example - appear to make large-scale, long-range movements that are seemingly unpredictable. This 'nomadism' likely occurs when the availability and location of resources varies considerably by season and by year. To make sense of these seasonal and annual movement strategies, researchers will combine: 1) theoretical computer models, 2) landscape-scale satellite images of vegetation, and 3) detailed movement data from individual gazelles in Mongolia (new field studies) and caribou in Alaska (historical data). By understanding long-distance animal movements, we will be in a much better position to know how environmental variability affects animal behavior. The conservation of these species and their habitats depends on understanding their large-scale movement patterns and ecology. Our research will help identify the mechanisms by which animals 'read' their environment to know when and where to move over complex landscapes.