A call for full annual cycle research in animal ecology

A call for full annual cycle research in animal ecology

For vertebrates, annual cycles are organized into a series of breeding and non-breeding periods that vary in duration and location but are inextricably linked biologically. Here, we show that our understanding of the fundamental ecology of four vertebrate classes has been limited by a severe breedin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biology letters (2005) Vol. 11; no. 8; p. 20150552
Main Authors: Marra, Peter P., Cohen, Emily B., Loss, Scott R., Rutter, Jordan E., Tonra, Christopher M.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England The Royal Society 01-08-2015
Subjects:
Amphibians - physiology
Animal Migration
Animals
Annual Cycle
Bias
Birds - physiology
Conservation Biology
Mammals - physiology
Reproduction
Reptiles - physiology
Research Bias
Research Design
Seasonal Interaction
Seasons
research bias
annual cycle
seasonal interaction
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Summary:For vertebrates, annual cycles are organized into a series of breeding and non-breeding periods that vary in duration and location but are inextricably linked biologically. Here, we show that our understanding of the fundamental ecology of four vertebrate classes has been limited by a severe breeding season research bias and that studies of individual and population-level responses to natural and anthropogenic change would benefit from a full annual cycle perspective. Recent emergence of new analytical and technological tools for studying individual and population-level animal movement could help reverse this bias. To improve understanding of species biology and reverse the population declines of many vertebrate species, a concerted effort to move beyond single season research is vital.
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Present address: School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, 210 Kottman Hall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Present address: Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Ag Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
Present address: Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, 135 Skok, St Paul, MN 55108, USA.
ISSN:1744-9561
1744-957X
DOI:10.1098/rsbl.2015.0552