Mark Lewis

Title

Mathematics and Animal Movement Patterns

Abstract

Animal movement patterns have long been the subject of mathematical and ecological interest. How do individual behavioral decision rules translate into macroscale patterns of space use such as foraging, patrolling or territories? I will show how mechanistic models, using random walks, stochastic processes, and partial differential equations can be used to connect underlying processes to the observed patterns. Here interactions are complex and may involve memory of past events, as well as a cognitive map. I will make applications to a spectrum of different emerging patterns, including patrolling behaviour in wolves.

Short bio 

Mark Lewis is Canada Research Chair in Mathematical Biology at the University of Alberta.  His work uses mathematics to understand spatial ecology.