Resource Selection by Animals: Statistical Design and Analysis - Field

Our review of Resource Selection by Animals finds it a focused, practical guide for field ecologists and wildlife biologists who need a rigorous approach to comparing resource use and availability. The book's single biggest reason to buy is its clear emphasis on the statistical framework around the resource selection function, making it a rare reference that connects field sampling decisions directly to analytic methods rather than theoretical optimality. Readers who need step-by-step guidance for designing studies and interpreting selection analyses will gain the most from this text.

Key Features

• Focused statistical guidance: The book concentrates on statistical aspects of comparing use and availability so researchers can design studies that produce defensible inferences.
• Resource selection function focus: It centers on the concept of a resource selection function, helping readers translate measured characteristics of resource units into testable models.
• Field-oriented examples: Emphasis on field studies ensures the material stays relevant to real-world wildlife and ecological data collection decisions.
• Targeted audience approach: Written for field ecologists and wildlife biologists, the text avoids abstruse optimality theory and stays practical for applied researchers.
• Design-to-analysis linkage: Clear treatment of how sampling design affects analysis improves the reliability of conclusions drawn from field data.

Who It's For

This book is best for practicing field ecologists, wildlife biologists, graduate students in applied ecology, and anyone designing observational studies of resource use who needs to ground those studies in sound statistical reasoning. It serves readers who collect resource-unit measurements and must compare used versus available resources using formal models.

Those seeking theoretical treatments of animal decision-making under optimality models or a broad textbook on behavioral ecology should look elsewhere, because the authors intentionally limit scope to statistical design and analysis rather than theoretical choice models.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a focused, practical treatment of statistical design for resource selection studies useful in field settings.
• Clear emphasis on resource selection functions links measured resource-unit characteristics to interpretable models.
• Helps researchers understand how sampling and availability definitions affect analytical outcomes.

Cons

• Does not cover theoretical optimality or broader behavioral ecology topics, so it is not a comprehensive ecology textbook.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Resource Selection by Animals is a strong, practical resource for researchers who must design and analyze field studies of resource use. Its focused treatment of statistical comparisons and the resource selection function makes it good value for applied ecologists and wildlife biologists who want methods that translate directly to field sampling and analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book teach statistical methods for field sampling?
Yes, the book emphasizes how sampling design and definitions of availability affect statistical analysis of resource selection.

Is it suitable for beginners with limited statistics background?
It is aimed at practitioners with some statistical familiarity; students new to statistics may need supplementary introductory material.

Does it cover animal optimality and decision theory?
No, the authors explicitly exclude optimality theory and focus on applied statistical design and analysis.