3.3 Summary of case-studies
These case-studies have exemplified the diversity and complementarity of
modelling approaches for predicting the population consequences of human
disturbance. Our fox case study demonstrated that IBMs are particularly
well suited for assessing human impacts on species with extensive
ecological knowledge available thus enabling detailed simulations of
individual behaviour and interactions. Our European mink study
highlighted the potential for energetics modelling to overcome data
limitation issues that are common for species of conservation concern.
Although particularly suited to data limited species, energetics
approaches are also useful for other species exposed to indirect
stressors (Johnson et al. 2024). Despite the breadth of existing
research, a notable gap exists in the red fox literature regarding the
integration of energetics with disturbance modelling. Given the growing
body of empirical research on red fox energetics, there is an exciting
opportunity to link disturbances to population dynamics through changes
in individual energetics and vital rates. Doing so could quantify the
energetic costs of disturbances (e.g., by measuring the energetic
demands imposed by habitat fragmentation or reduced prey availability)
or predict long-term population consequences by linking individual
energy budgets to reproduction and survival rates.