Step-selection Analysis
Overview
Step-selection functions provide a way to model animal movement and habitat selection in discrete time.
Key Contributions
- Software: Collaborated with Johannes Signer, Tal Avgar, and Brian Smith on the development of the
amtpackage for implementing step selection functions (Johannes is the mastermind behind this work!). - Interpretation: Published a how to guide and associated R code for interpreting parameters in resource-selection and step-selection functions and increased understanding by connecting approaches for estimating parameters to common numerical integration techniques. This work was led by Theo Michelot!
- Methodological Improvements:
- Demonstrating how the
mgcvpackage can be used to fit models capturing non-linear relationships, spatially and temporally dynamic behaviors, and among-individual heterogeneity. This work was led by Natasha Klappstein!
- Devloped methods for modeling cross-correlation in step-length and turn angles using copulas. This work was led by Florian Hodel!
- Demonstrating how the
- Simulation: Demonstrated methods for simulating from fitted models using the
amtpackage, including methods for estimating steady-state utilization distributions (led by Johannes Signer!) - Model evaluation: Showed how simulated steps and trajectories can be used to validate models.
- Hierarchical models: Demonstrating how heirarchical models can be fit using the glmmTMB package, allowing individual variability in habitat-selection and movement parameters.
Relevant Publications
Klappstein, N., Michelot, T., Fieberg, J., Pedersen, E., Field, C., & Flemming, J. M. 2024. Step selection functions with non-linear and random effects. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 15:1332-1346.
Fieberg, J., Signer, J., and Freeman, S. 2024. Evaluating goodness-of-fit of animal movement models using lineups. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 15(6), 1048-1059
Hofmann, D. D., Cozzi, G., and Fieberg, J. 2024. Methods for Implementing Integrated Step-Selection Functions with Incomplete Data. Movement Ecology, 12(1)37.
Chatterjee, N., Wolfson, D., Jim, D., Velez, J., Freeman, S., Bacheler, N.M., Shertzer, K., Taylor, J.C. and Fieberg, J., 2024. Modeling individual variability in habitat selection and movement using integrated step-selection analyses. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 15(6) 1034-1047.
Signer, J., Fieberg, J., Reineking, B., Schlaegel, U., Smith, B. J., Balkenhol, N., & Avgar, T. 2024. Simulating animal space use from fitted integrated Step-Selection Functions (iSSF). Methods in Ecology and Evolution 15:43-50.
Michelot, T., Klappstein, N.J., Potts, J., and J. Fieberg. 2024. Understanding step selection analysis through numerical integration. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 15:24-35.
Hodel, F. and J. Fieberg. 2022. Circular-Linear Copulae for Animal Movement Data. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 13(5):1001-1013.
Fieberg, J., J. Signer, B. Smith, and T. Avgar. 2021. A “how-to” guide for interpreting parameters in resource-selection and step-selection analyses. Journal of Animal Ecology 90 (5), 1027-1043.
Muff, S., Signer, J. and J. Fieberg. 2020. Accounting for individual-specific variation in habitat-selection studies: Efficient estimation of mixed-effects models using Bayesian or frequentist computation. Journal of Animal Ecology 89(1), 80-92.
Signer, J., J. Fieberg, and T. Avgar. 2019. Animal movement tools (amt): R package for managing tracking data and conducting habitat selection analyses. Ecology and Evolution 9:880-890.
Fieberg, J., J.D. Forester, G.M. Street, D.H. Johnson, A.A. ArchMiller, and J. Matthiopoulos. 2017. Used-habitat calibration plots: A new procedure for validating species distribution, resource selection, and step-selection models. Ecography 40:001-015. doi: 10.1111/ecog.03123.
Signer, J., J. Fieberg, and T. Avgar. 2019. Animal movement tools (amt): R package for managing tracking data and conducting habitat selection analyses. Ecology and Evolution 9:880-890.