A call for using rangeland-based livestock operations as model systems for studying the movement ecology of terrestrial animals

Abstract The popularity of the field of movement ecology has increased in recent decades in part due to advances in tracking and computing technology. However, the field still contains many knowledge gaps that will be filled not by improvements in technology, but by employing novel experimental approaches. Most animal movement studies are based on wildlife populations, where complete system knowledge and experimental control are typically minimal. Here we propose the use of rangeland-based livestock operations, where livestock range freely in large, heterogeneous pastures, as model systems for addressing outstanding questions related to the movement ecology of large mammalian herbivores. This is a particularly timely topic due to recent advances in precision ranching technology, which enable high-resolution remote monitoring (and, in some cases, manipulation) of livestock and their surrounding resources. We walk through four examples of open questions in animal movement ecology that can be addressed with rangeland-based livestock operations as model systems: (1) How does animal nutritional state affect movement patterns? (2) What are the roles of genetics vs. social learning in determining movement traits? (3) How do movement traits affect life history syndromes? and (4) How does population density affect movement traits and patterns? Rangeland-based livestock systems contain robust, readily accessible, individual-level genealogical and life history information; complete, herd-level coverage of individuals with spatial tracking and physiological monitoring devices; and opportunities for straightforward and safe experimental manipulation of population and environmental characteristics to an extent that is infeasible in wild populations. We argue that by leveraging this wealth of information, researchers can make great strides toward advancing the field of animal movement ecology.