Density-dependent network structuring within and across wild animal systems
Gregory Albery
(1)
,
Daniel Becker
(2)
,
Josh Firth
,
Matthew Silk
(3)
,
Amy Sweeny
,
Eric Vander Wal
,
Quinn Webber
,
Bryony Allen
,
Simon Babayan
(4)
,
Sahas Barve
,
Mike Begon
(5)
,
Richard Birtles
(6)
,
Theadora Block
(7)
,
Barbara Block
(8)
,
Janette Bradley
,
Sarah Budischak
,
Cfhristina Buesching
,
Sarah Burthe
(9)
,
Aaron Carlisle
(10)
,
Jennifer Caselle
(11)
,
Ciro Cattuto
,
Alexis S Chaine
(12)
,
Taylor Chapple
,
Barbara Cheney
,
Timothy Clutton-Brock
,
Melissa Collier
,
David Curnick
,
Richard Delahay
,
Damien Farine
,
Andy Fenton
,
Francesco Ferretti
,
Helen Fielding
,
Vivienne Foroughirad
,
Celine Frere
,
Michael Gardner
,
Eli Geffen
,
Stephanie Godfrey
,
Andrea Graham
,
Phil Hammond
,
Maik Henrich
,
Marco Heurich
,
Paul Hopwood
,
Amiyaal Ilany
,
Joseph Jackson
,
Nicola Jackson
,
David Jacoby
,
Ann-Marie Jacoby
,
Miloš Ježek
,
Lucinda Kirkpatrick
,
Alisa Klamm
,
James Klarevas-Irby
,
Sarah Knowles
,
Lee Koren
,
Ewa Krzyszczyk
,
Jillian Kusch
,
Xavier Lambin
,
Jeffrey Lane
,
Herwig Leirs
,
Stephan Leu
,
Bruce Lyon
,
David Macdonald
,
Anastasia Madsen
,
Janet Mann
,
Marta Manser
,
Joachim Mariën
,
Apia Massawe
,
Robbie Mcdonald
,
Kevin Morelle
,
Johann Mourier
,
Chris Newman
,
Kenneth Nussear
,
Brendah Nyaguthii
,
Mina Ogino
,
Laura Ozella
,
Yannis Papastamatiou
,
Steve Paterson
,
Eric Payne
,
Amy Pedersen
,
Josephine Pemberton
,
Noa Pinter-Wollman
,
Serge Planes
,
Aura Raulo
,
Rolando Rodríguez-Muñoz
,
Christopher Sabuni
,
Pratha Sah
,
Robbie Schallert
,
Ben Sheldon
,
Daizaburo Shizuka
,
Andrew Sih
,
David Sinn
,
Vincent Sluydts
,
Orr Spiegel
,
Sandra Telfer
,
Courtney Thomason
,
David Tickler
,
Tom Tregenza
,
Kimberley Vanderwaal
,
Eric Walters
,
Klara Wanelik
,
Elodie Wielgus
(13)
,
Jared Wilson-Aggarwal
,
Caroline Wohlfeil
,
Shweta Bansal
1
GU -
Georgetown University [Washington]
2 Medtronic SNT
3 CEFE - Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive
4 UMR_S567 / UMR 8104 - Institut Cochin
5 School of Biological Sciences
6 USC INRA Bartonella et Tiques
7 UC - University of California
8 Hopkins Marine Station [Stanford]
9 UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
10 University of Delaware [Newark]
11 UC Santa Barbara - University of California [Santa Barbara]
12 SETE - Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale
13 Bavarian Forest National Park
2 Medtronic SNT
3 CEFE - Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive
4 UMR_S567 / UMR 8104 - Institut Cochin
5 School of Biological Sciences
6 USC INRA Bartonella et Tiques
7 UC - University of California
8 Hopkins Marine Station [Stanford]
9 UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
10 University of Delaware [Newark]
11 UC Santa Barbara - University of California [Santa Barbara]
12 SETE - Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale
13 Bavarian Forest National Park
Josh Firth
- Function : Author
Amy Sweeny
- Function : Author
Eric Vander Wal
- Function : Author
Quinn Webber
- Function : Author
Bryony Allen
- Function : Author
Sahas Barve
- Function : Author
Janette Bradley
- Function : Author
Sarah Budischak
- Function : Author
Cfhristina Buesching
- Function : Author
Ciro Cattuto
- Function : Author
Taylor Chapple
- Function : Author
Barbara Cheney
- Function : Author
Timothy Clutton-Brock
- Function : Author
Melissa Collier
- Function : Author
David Curnick
- Function : Author
Richard Delahay
- Function : Author
Damien Farine
- Function : Author
Andy Fenton
- Function : Author
Francesco Ferretti
- Function : Author
Helen Fielding
- Function : Author
Vivienne Foroughirad
- Function : Author
Celine Frere
- Function : Author
Michael Gardner
- Function : Author
Eli Geffen
- Function : Author
Stephanie Godfrey
- Function : Author
Andrea Graham
- Function : Author
Phil Hammond
- Function : Author
Maik Henrich
- Function : Author
Marco Heurich
- Function : Author
Paul Hopwood
- Function : Author
Amiyaal Ilany
- Function : Author
Joseph Jackson
- Function : Author
Nicola Jackson
- Function : Author
David Jacoby
- Function : Author
Ann-Marie Jacoby
- Function : Author
Miloš Ježek
- Function : Author
Lucinda Kirkpatrick
- Function : Author
Alisa Klamm
- Function : Author
James Klarevas-Irby
- Function : Author
Sarah Knowles
- Function : Author
Lee Koren
- Function : Author
Ewa Krzyszczyk
- Function : Author
Jillian Kusch
- Function : Author
Xavier Lambin
- Function : Author
Jeffrey Lane
- Function : Author
Herwig Leirs
- Function : Author
Stephan Leu
- Function : Author
Bruce Lyon
- Function : Author
David Macdonald
- Function : Author
Anastasia Madsen
- Function : Author
Janet Mann
- Function : Author
Marta Manser
- Function : Author
Joachim Mariën
- Function : Author
Apia Massawe
- Function : Author
Robbie Mcdonald
- Function : Author
Kevin Morelle
- Function : Author
Johann Mourier
- Function : Author
Chris Newman
- Function : Author
Kenneth Nussear
- Function : Author
Brendah Nyaguthii
- Function : Author
Mina Ogino
- Function : Author
Laura Ozella
- Function : Author
Yannis Papastamatiou
- Function : Author
Steve Paterson
- Function : Author
Eric Payne
- Function : Author
Amy Pedersen
- Function : Author
Josephine Pemberton
- Function : Author
Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Function : Author
Serge Planes
- Function : Author
Aura Raulo
- Function : Author
Rolando Rodríguez-Muñoz
- Function : Author
Christopher Sabuni
- Function : Author
Pratha Sah
- Function : Author
Robbie Schallert
- Function : Author
Ben Sheldon
- Function : Author
Daizaburo Shizuka
- Function : Author
Andrew Sih
- Function : Author
David Sinn
- Function : Author
Vincent Sluydts
- Function : Author
Orr Spiegel
- Function : Author
Sandra Telfer
- Function : Author
Courtney Thomason
- Function : Author
David Tickler
- Function : Author
Tom Tregenza
- Function : Author
Kimberley Vanderwaal
- Function : Author
Eric Walters
- Function : Author
Klara Wanelik
- Function : Author
Elodie Wielgus
- Function : Author
- PersonId : 1075764
- ORCID : 0000-0001-8323-5128
- IdRef : 250366894
Jared Wilson-Aggarwal
- Function : Author
Caroline Wohlfeil
- Function : Author
Shweta Bansal
- Function : Author
Abstract
High population density should drive individuals to more frequently share space and interact, producing better-connected spatial and social networks. Despite this widely-held assumption, it remains unconfirmed how local density generally drives individuals’ positions within wild animal networks. We analysed 34 datasets of simultaneous spatial and social behaviour in >55,000 individual animals, spanning 28 species of fish, reptiles, birds, mammals, and insects. >80% of systems exhibited strongly positive relationships between local density and network centrality, providing broad empirical evidence that local density increases connectedness at the individual level. However, >75% of density-connectedness relationships were nonlinear, and density’s importance declined at higher values in >70% of systems, signifying saturating effects. Density’s effect was much stronger and less saturating for spatial than social networks, suggesting population density drives individuals to become disproportionately spatially connected rather than socially. These findings reveal fundamental trends underlying societal structuring, with widespread behavioural, ecological, and evolutionary implications.
Domains
Biodiversity and EcologyOrigin | Files produced by the author(s) |
---|---|
licence |