<scp>MoveTraits</scp> —A Database for Integrating Animal Behaviour Into Trait‐Based Ecology

Trait-based approaches are key to understanding eco-evolutionary processes but rarely account for animal behaviour despite its central role in ecosystem dynamics. We propose integrating behaviour into trait-based ecology through movement traits-standardised and comparable measures of animal movement derived from biologging data, such as daily displacements or range sizes. Accounting for animal behaviour will advance trait-based research on species interactions, community structure and ecosystem functioning. Importantly, movement traits allow for quantification of behavioural reaction norms, offering insights into species' acclimation and adaptive capacity to environmental change. We outline a vision for a 'living' global movement trait database that enhances trait data curation by (1) continuously growing alongside shared biologging data, (2) calculating traits directly from individual-level data using standardised, consistent methodology and (3) providing information on multi-level (species, individual, within-individual) trait variation. We present a proof-of-concept 'MoveTraits' database with 52 mammal and 97 bird species, demonstrating calculation workflows for 5 traits across multiple timescales. Movement traits have significant potential to improve trait-based global change predictions and contribute to global biodiversity assessments as Essential Biodiversity Variables. By making animal movement data more accessible and interpretable, this database could bridge the gap between movement ecology and biodiversity policy, facilitating evidence-based conservation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Ecology Letters
Published
2025-12-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.70297
Primary Topic
Species Distribution and Climate Change
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

MoveTraits —A Database for Integrating Animal Behaviour Into Trait‐Based Ecology

Jörg Albrecht, Ashley Lohr, Thomas Mueller, Nandintsetseg Dejid et al.
Ecology Letters
Species Distribution and Climate Change
article

MoveTraits —A Database for Integrating Animal Behaviour Into Trait‐Based Ecology

Jörg Albrecht, Ashley Lohr, Thomas Mueller, Nandintsetseg Dejid, Anne K. Scharf, Martin Wikelski, Matthias Schleuning, Francesca Cagnacci, Eike Lena Neuschulz, Marlee A. Tucker, Larissa Teresa Beumer, Anne G. Hertel, Andrea Kölzsch, Raphaël Royauté, Roxanne S. Beltran, Roland Kays, Sarah C. Davidson, Kamran Safi
article en

Abstract

Trait-based approaches are key to understanding eco-evolutionary processes but rarely account for animal behaviour despite its central role in ecosystem dynamics. We propose integrating behaviour into trait-based ecology through movement traits-standardised and comparable measures of animal movement derived from biologging data, such as daily displacements or range sizes. Accounting for animal behaviour will advance trait-based research on species interactions, community structure and ecosystem functioning. Importantly, movement traits allow for quantification of behavioural reaction norms, offering insights into species' acclimation and adaptive capacity to environmental change. We outline a vision for a 'living' global movement trait database that enhances trait data curation by (1) continuously growing alongside shared biologging data, (2) calculating traits directly from individual-level data using standardised, consistent methodology and (3) providing information on multi-level (species, individual, within-individual) trait variation. We present a proof-of-concept 'MoveTraits' database with 52 mammal and 97 bird species, demonstrating calculation workflows for 5 traits across multiple timescales. Movement traits have significant potential to improve trait-based global change predictions and contribute to global biodiversity assessments as Essential Biodiversity Variables. By making animal movement data more accessible and interpretable, this database could bridge the gap between movement ecology and biodiversity policy, facilitating evidence-based conservation.

Ecology LettersVol. 29(1)
Fondazione Edmund Mach (IT), Goethe University Frankfurt (DE), North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (US), North Carolina State University (US), Radboud University Nijmegen (NL), Philipps University of Marburg (DE), University of California, Santa Cruz (US), University of Konstanz (DE), ParisTech (FR), AgroParisTech (FR), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), Radboud University Medical Center (NL), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR), Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (NL), Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (DE), Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (DE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 21%
Species Distribution and Climate Change
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