Frontiers | Advances in the Behavioral Ecology and Movement Ecology of Elephants

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

Elephants are charismatic megafauna that play important roles in maintaining ecosystem processes and biodiversity. For many years, researchers have conducted studies aimed at understanding their social behavior, communication systems, foraging ecology, and movements. In recent times, the application of new technologies, such as GPS and remote sensing, has led to significant advances in our ability to understand movement ecology and behavior of elephants within a broader ecological and evolutionary context.

This Research Topic aims to bring together the latest research and advancements in behavioral ecology and movement ecology of elephants. We seek contributions from researchers across different disciplines such as ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation science, and spatial analysis. The focus of the research would be to understand the complex ecological and social behaviors of elephants and the implications of these behaviors on their survival, habitat use, and conservation.

We invite manuscripts that delve into the ecological and social factors that influence the movement patterns of elephants across different scales, such as ranging behaviors, habitat selection, and migration patterns. We also welcome studies that explore the foraging strategies of elephants, including their diet preferences, resource use, and food availability.

Additionally, we encourage contributions on the social behavior of elephants, such as family dynamics, grouping patterns, and communication systems. We seek studies that examine the ecological and evolutionary drivers of such behavior and their implications on population structure and dynamics, including social networks and gene flow. We also welcome studies that explore the influence of human–elephant interactions on the behavior and ecology of elephants, such as habitat loss, poaching, and human–wildlife conflict.

Possible topics of interest include:

• The ecological and social factors influencing the movement patterns of elephants
• The use of new technologies to understand the spatial ecology of elephants and the potential implications for their conservation
• The role of foraging ecology and dietary preferences in shaping the behavior of elephants
• The social behavior of elephants, including communication, family dynamics, and social networks
• The influence of human activities on the ecology and behavior of elephants.

Finally, this Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the behavioral ecology and movement ecology of elephants. The results generated from this research will also be beneficial to conservation and management of elephants, particularly in the wake of increasing threats to their survival in the wild.

Keywords: elephants, behavioral ecology, movement ecology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

frontiers in ecology and evolution
Frontiers Media SA
Lausanne, Switzerland

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