Undergraduate Research Highlight: Modeling Movement Behavior Among Interacting Species

Migrating species are affected by their interactions with one another, the biotic environment, and the abiotic environment. The ability to understand and predict their patterns of movement is of particular interest for purposes of conservation, development planning, and resource management. Researchers have made attempts to model the direction in which they move, and the extent of their movement. However, current models focus on a specific factor that influences the movement within ecosystems, such as climate or land use. The complexity of the organism’s interactions and instinctual drive is often simplified. I present a framework for a matrix-based model that expands on previous models and allows the researcher to describe how an organism interacts with its biotic and abiotic environment, in as much detail as the research demands. This model can describe the strength of an organism’s attraction to a particular place, or the relative speed at which it will migrate there. The matrix modeling framework is generalized to be applicable to any species; yet, it can be tailored to the biology and ecology of specific organisms. It predicts the movement of organisms along a gradient on the physical landscape, based on their needs, within a given time. Understanding changing behavioral influences on individuals is a significant step in making an educated decision regarding human intervention in a natural migration pattern.