Home Range and Homing

Abstract

We have dealt with dispersion and habitat selection, so how does home range relate to dispersion patterns and habitat selection? A home range might be defined simply as an area in which an animal “normally” lives and which contains many essential requirement, e.g., food, cover, and water (Brown 1973). Further, a home range is exclusive of migrations, emigrations, or erratic wanderings and is specified without reference to presence or absence of aggressive behavior. If an animal establishes a home range in a given habitat, the animal is using that habitat, so has the habitat selection taken place? This is an important question to ask with regard to home ranges, as is how large is a home range and does its use or size vary seasonally, with sex class, or with age class, etc.? Moreover, what factors affect placement or size of home ranges? Is there a distinction among home range, core areas, and territories, or are these interchangeable terms? As we shall see, there are many other questions regarding home range.