ANFS350 Lecture 8: Habitat Selection and Territorial Behavior

• School: University of Delaware
• Department: Animal and Food Sciences
• Course: ANFS350
• Professor: Emara Marlene

Document Summary

Lecture 8 - habitat selection and territorial behavior. Understanding the animal"s habitat is required for conservation programs. A large territory is preferred because it provides more food and other resources. Evolution favors a smaller territory for optimal use of energy with maximal benefits. Habitat - the natural environment of an animal; forest, grassland, wetland (freshwate desert. Territory - an area the animal defends from other animals of its own species or from species. Home range - an area the animal continuously uses but does not necessarily defend. Availability of food, water, shelter and other resources. The opportunity for successful reproduction is better in habitat a compared to hab. Therefore, can have productive habitat s and non-productive habitat sinks (b) Population growth occurs in a habitat source; but in a habitat sink, the population g declines. One problem is that animals may be attracted to a habitat sink (dramatic decline in population to a point of extinction)