International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2025, Vol.15, No.5, 249-259 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmec 25 5 reproductive success. The structural complexity of the habitat environment may affect territory selection and reproductive strategies (Figure 2) (Yamazaki et al., 2025). Figure 2 Impact of river ecosystems under different environmental conditions on fish reproductive behavior (Adopted from Yamazaki et al., 2025) Image caption:Photographs of (a) riverscapes (left) and breeding habitats (right) in which our field survey was conducted (TM: Tomakomai, GF: Gifu) and (b) breeding of territorial orange-throated males. (c) Distribution of male nests across breeding habitats for TM and GF populations (Adopted from Yamazaki et al., 2025) Among reptiles, lizards are one of the most studied groups in terms of territorial behavior. The arboreal Anolis lizard is a classic example: male Anolis lizards demarcate a fixed small area on tree trunks or hedges as their territory, and repeatedly perform the "nodding and prostrating" gesture with their colorful laryngeal sacs to show their territorial possession (Ord, 2021). When other male lizards invade, the Lord male immediately rushes towards them, confronting and competing in size and color. If the other party does not back down, a scuffle and fight will break out until one party escapes. In an environment rich in food and sunlight resources, a large tree can even accommodate multiple Anelo lizards, each occupying a branch as their territory. They become familiar with each other through sight and behavior, thereby reducing direct conflicts (Nasse kiewicz et al., 2024). Experiments have found that if the dominant male lizard in a certain area is removed, its territory is quickly filled by the neighboring secondary male lizards. The next day after occupation, they start to show off and drive away the adjacent ones, indicating that lizards are highly sensitive to territorial space opportunities. Once the landowner disappears, other individuals will immediately adjust their spatial distribution to expand their territory. 6 The Application of Territoriality in Population Dynamics Modeling 6.1 Population distribution model under territorial constraints Traditional models of population distribution often assume that individuals use space evenly. For species with clear territorial behavior, this assumption is not correct. Newer models with territorial constraints bring in land area and spatial exclusivity, so the results are closer to real conditions. For example, adding extra parameters to a habitat suitability model can limit the number of breeders in an area by setting the maximum number of territories that can be defended. This helps predict both spatial spread and the upper limit of density more accurately. These models work well in the conservation of large raptors. One case is the endangered Polynesian falcon (hypothetical species). Researchers built an individual-based model that considered territory dynamics to simulate how it spreads in its habitat network (Marques et al., 2024). In the model, every falcon pair was given a clear territory, and the repulsion from nearby pairs was also included. Compared with traditional methods that ignore territory, this model gave better predictions on breeding pairs, population size, and cross-area distribution.
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