Firth Josh A, Sheldon Ben C
Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
Ecol Lett. 2016 Nov;19(11):1324-1332. doi: 10.1111/ele.12669. Epub 2016 Sep 13.
Spatial structure underpins numerous population processes by determining the environment individuals' experience and which other individuals they encounter. Yet, how the social landscape influences individuals' spatial decisions remains largely unexplored. Wild great tits (Parus major) form freely moving winter flocks, but choose a single location to establish a breeding territory over the spring. We demonstrate that individuals' winter social associations carry-over into their subsequent spatial decisions, as individuals breed nearer to those they were most associated with during winter. Further, they also form territory boundaries with their closest winter associates, irrespective of breeding distance. These findings were consistent across years, and among all demographic classes, suggesting that such social carry-over effects may be general. Thus, prior social structure can shape the spatial proximity, and fine-scale arrangement, of breeding individuals. In this way, social networks can influence a wide range of processes linked to individuals' breeding locations, including other social interactions themselves.
空间结构通过决定个体所经历的环境以及他们所遇到的其他个体，支撑着众多种群过程。然而，社会景观如何影响个体的空间决策在很大程度上仍未得到探索。野生大山雀（Parus major）在冬季形成自由移动的鸟群，但在春季会选择一个单一地点来建立繁殖领地。我们证明，个体的冬季社交关联会延续到他们随后的空间决策中，因为个体在繁殖时会选择离他们冬季最常交往的个体更近的地方。此外，无论繁殖距离如何，它们还会与最亲密的冬季伙伴形成领地边界。这些发现多年来以及在所有人口统计学类别中都是一致的，这表明这种社会延续效应可能是普遍存在的。因此，先前的社会结构可以塑造繁殖个体的空间接近度和精细尺度的布局。通过这种方式，社会网络可以影响与个体繁殖地点相关的广泛过程，包括其他社会互动本身。
