A Spatially-Varying Stochastic Differential Equation Model for Animal Movement

Abstract

Animal movement exhibits complex behavior which can be influenced by unobserved environmental conditions. We propose a model which allows for a spatially-varying movement rate and spatially-varying drift through a semiparametric potential surface and a separate motility surface. These surfaces are embedded in a stochastic differential equation framework which allows for complex animal movement patterns in space. The resulting model is used to analyze the spatially-varying behavior of ants to provide insight into the spatial structure of ant movement in the nest.