Information Ecology: an integrative framework for studying animal behavior

Thore J Bergman; Jacinta C Beehner

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2023.05.017

Information Ecology: an integrative framework for studying animal behavior

Trends Ecol Evol. 2023 Nov;38(11):1041-1050. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.05.017. Epub 2023 Jul 21.

Authors

Thore J Bergman¹, Jacinta C Beehner²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: thore@umich.edu.
² Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

PMID: 37820577
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.05.017

Abstract

Information is simultaneously a valuable resource for animals and a tractable variable for researchers. We propose the name Information Ecology to describe research focused on how individual animals use information to enhance fitness. An explicit focus on information in animal behavior is far from novel - we simply build on these ideas and promote a unified approach to how and why animals use information. The value of information to animals favors the theoretically rich adaptive approach of field-based research. Simultaneously, our ability to manipulate information lends itself to the strong methods of laboratory-based research. Information Ecology asks three questions: What information is available? How is it used (or not)? And, why is it used (or not)?

Keywords: animal behavior; cognition; information; information foraging; information landscape.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Behavior, Animal*
Ecology*
Research