Analyses in Behavioral Ecology


Book Description




Dynamic Modeling in Behavioral Ecology


Book Description

This book describes a powerful and flexible technique for the modeling of behavior, based on evolutionary principles. The technique employs stochastic dynamic programming and permits the analysis of behavioral adaptations wherein organisms respond to changes in their environment and in their own current physiological state. Models can be constructed to reflect sequential decisions concerned simultaneously with foraging, reproduction, predator avoidance, and other activities. The authors show how to construct and use dynamic behavioral models. Part I covers the mathematical background and computer programming, and then uses a paradigm of foraging under risk of predation to exemplify the general modeling technique. Part II consists of five "applied" chapters illustrating the scope of the dynamic modeling approach. They treat hunting behavior in lions, reproduction in insects, migrations of aquatic organisms, clutch size and parental care in birds, and movement of spiders and raptors. Advanced topics, including the study of dynamic evolutionarily stable strategies, are discussed in Part III.




Evolutionary Behavioral Ecology


Book Description

Evolutionary Behavioral Ecology presents a comprehensive treatment of theevolutionary and ecological processes shaping behavior across a wide array of organisms and a diverse set of behaviors and is suitable as a graduate-level text and as a sourcebook for professional scientists.




Behavioral Ecology and the Transition to Agriculture


Book Description

"For the newcomer to the literature and logic of human behavioral ecology, this book is a flat-out bonanza—entirely accessible, self-critical, largely free of polemic, and, above all, stimulating beyond measure. It's an extraordinary contribution. Our understanding of the foraging-farming dynamic may just have changed forever."—David Hurst Thomas, American Museum of Natural History




Sampling and Statistical Methods for Behavioral Ecologists


Book Description

This book describes the sampling and statistical methods used most often by behavioral ecologists and field biologists. Written by a biologist and two statisticians, it provides a rigorous discussion together with worked examples of statistical concepts and methods that are generally not covered in introductory courses, and which are consequently poorly understood and applied by field biologists. The first section reviews important issues such as defining the statistical population and the sampling plan when using nonrandom methods for sample selection, bias, interpretation of statistical tests, confidence intervals, and multiple comparisons. After a detailed discussion of sampling methods and multiple regression, subsequent chapters discuss specialized problems such as pseudoreplication, and their solutions. This volume will quickly become the favorite statistical handbook for all field biologists.




Behavior Analysis with Machine Learning Using R


Book Description

Behavior Analysis with Machine Learning Using R introduces machine learning and deep learning concepts and algorithms applied to a diverse set of behavior analysis problems. It focuses on the practical aspects of solving such problems based on data collected from sensors or stored in electronic records. The included examples demonstrate how to perform common data analysis tasks such as: data exploration, visualization, preprocessing, data representation, model training and evaluation. All of this, using the R programming language and real-life behavioral data. Even though the examples focus on behavior analysis tasks, the covered underlying concepts and methods can be applied in any other domain. No prior knowledge in machine learning is assumed. Basic experience with R and basic knowledge in statistics and high school level mathematics are beneficial. Features: Build supervised machine learning models to predict indoor locations based on WiFi signals, recognize physical activities from smartphone sensors and 3D skeleton data, detect hand gestures from accelerometer signals, and so on. Program your own ensemble learning methods and use Multi-View Stacking to fuse signals from heterogeneous data sources. Use unsupervised learning algorithms to discover criminal behavioral patterns. Build deep learning neural networks with TensorFlow and Keras to classify muscle activity from electromyography signals and Convolutional Neural Networks to detect smiles in images. Evaluate the performance of your models in traditional and multi-user settings. Build anomaly detection models such as Isolation Forests and autoencoders to detect abnormal fish behaviors. This book is intended for undergraduate/graduate students and researchers from ubiquitous computing, behavioral ecology, psychology, e-health, and other disciplines who want to learn the basics of machine learning and deep learning and for the more experienced individuals who want to apply machine learning to analyze behavioral data.




Behavioural Ecology


Book Description

Behavioural Ecology gives a fresh, contemporary account of the evolutionary and ecological processes that underpin animal behaviour. Contributions from subject experts and meticulous editing yield a text with all the qualities of a multi-author book, but without the potential drawbacks.




Scientific Style and Format


Book Description

The Scientific Style and Format Eighth Edition Subcommittee worked to ensure the continued integrity of the CSE style and to provide a progressively up-to-date resource for our valued users, which will be adjusted as needed on the website. This new edition will prove to be an authoritative tool used to help keep the language and writings of the scientific community alive and thriving, whether the research is printed on paper or published online.




Behavioral Mechanisms in Ecology


Book Description

Discusses the relationships of animals to their resources.




Animal Social Networks


Book Description

The scientific study of networks - computer, social, and biological - has received an enormous amount of interest in recent years. However, the network approach has been applied to the field of animal behaviour relatively late compared to many other biological disciplines. Understanding social network structure is of great importance for biologists since the structural characteristics of any network will affect its constituent members and influence a range of diverse behaviours. These include finding and choosing a sexual partner, developing and maintaining cooperative relationships, and engaging in foraging and anti-predator behavior. This novel text provides an overview of the insights that network analysis has provided into major biological processes, and how it has enhanced our understanding of the social organisation of several important taxonomic groups. It brings together researchers from a wide range of disciplines with the aim of providing both an overview of the power of the network approach for understanding patterns and process in animal populations, as well as outlining how current methodological constraints and challenges can be overcome. Animal Social Networks is principally aimed at graduate level students and researchers in the fields of ecology, zoology, animal behaviour, and evolutionary biology but will also be of interest to social scientists.