International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2025, Vol.15, No.5, 249-259 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmec 24 9 Research Insight Open Access Spatial Behavior and Population Ecology: The Role of Territoriality Xuming Lyu, Yeping Han Institute of Life Sciences, Jiyang Colloge of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: yeping.han@jicat.org International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2025, Vol.15, No.5 doi: 10.5376/ijmec.2025.15.0025 Received: 27 Aug., 2025 Accepted: 05 Oct., 2025 Published: 18 Oct., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Lyu and Han, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Lyu X.M., and Han Y.P., 2025, Spatial behavior and population ecology: the role of territoriality, International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 15(5): 249-259 (doi: 10.5376/ijmec.2025.15.0025) Abstract This study introduces the definition and research history of territoriality, elaborates on the core position of territorial behavior in animal ecology and behavioral science, as well as its mechanism of action on population density regulation, reproductive success and individual fitness. Meanwhile, it was explored how territorial behavior affects niche differentiation, predator-prey relationships, and community stability and diversity in community structure. Through the analysis of typical cases of birds (such as songbirds), mammals (such as wolves and lions), fish and reptiles (such as cichlids and lizards), the different manifestations and ecological significance of territoriality are demonstrated. This study also discusses the methods of incorporating territoriality into population dynamic models, including the combination of spatial heterogeneity and individual-based models, as well as the significance of territoriality for long-term population succession prediction. From an application perspective, this paper clarifies the implications of territorial behavior research for habitat protection, species restoration and human disturbance management. Territoriality is not only an individual's behavioral strategy but also an important mechanism for regulating population structure and maintaining ecosystem stability. Integrating behavioral ecology with population dynamic models is conducive to enhancing ecological prediction capabilities and the scientific nature of conservation management. Keywords Territory behavior; Territoriality; Population ecology; Population regulation; Community structure 1 Introduction Territorial behavior refers to the phenomenon where individuals or communities occupy and defend a specific spatial range through fighting, demonstrations and other actions to prevent individuals of the same or different species from entering. The classic definition regards a territory as an exclusive part of an individual's range of activities, that is, the "territory" is the core area of active defense (Sells and Mitchell, 2020). The study of animal territories can be traced back to the early 20th century, and observations of bird territory singing and fighting laid the theoretical foundation. In the era of modern behavioral ecology, scholars such as Brown have linked territorial behavior with resource allocation and suitability, and proposed the theory of "economic defensibility" to explain when territoriality evolved. In recent years, with the development of telemetry and molecular technology, researchers have been able to track in detail the spatial utilization and social interaction of animals, promoting the study of territorial behavior into a new stage. Territoriality is widely distributed among birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish, and is one of the core topics in behavioral ecology research. By defending specific areas, individuals can monopolize key resources such as food, mates or nest sites, thereby increasing survival rates and reproductive success rates. Its evolution mechanism depends on the balance between defense benefits and costs: When resources are moderately distributed and defensible, territorial behavior can enhance fitness and thus is more likely to evolve (Both and Visser, 2003; Lopez-Sepulcre and Kokko, 2005). If resources are extremely concentrated or too sparse, the cost of maintaining the territory is too high, and such behavior is usually difficult to form. At the population level, territoriality is regarded as an important mechanism for regulating density and shaping spatial patterns. Species with territory often exhibit density-constrained effects, that is, each individual needs to occupy a certain range, thereby limiting the overall population (Balluffi-Fry et al., 2025). In a community, the overlap or mutual exclusion of territories among different species can promote niche differentiation, a process that helps maintain community diversity. Territorial behavior is also closely related to social systems. For instance,
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