Data from: Beyond habitat: Memory versus environment in shaping animal space use

For nearly half a century, ecologists have sought to explain animal space
use through characteristics of the environment (i.e., habitat). Recent
evidence suggests animals also use memory of previous experiences to
decide when and where to move. Yet, the relative influence of the two in
explaining animal space use has not been resolved. Using six large
ungulate species in the Rocky Mountains (USA), we evaluated the
performance of a habitat selection model with 16 environmental variables
and another with two variables representing previous use (i.e., memory).
While memory outperformed the environment for two species and the
environment outperformed memory for four species, the influence of memory
and the environment was overall comparable. The environment best explained
space use of specialists, while memory best explained species with strong
site fidelity. Our work challenges traditional habitat selection theory,
showcasing that animals build their spatial preferences through experience
just as much as merely responding to their environment.