Information Ecology: an integrative framework for studying animal behavior

Information is simultaneously a valuable resource for animals and a tractable variable for researchers. We propose the name Information Ecology to describe research focused on how individual animals use information to enhance fitness. An explicit focus on information in animal behavior is far from novel - we simply build on these ideas and promote a unified approach to how and why animals use information. The value of information to animals favors the theoretically rich adaptive approach of field-based research. Simultaneously, our ability to manipulate information lends itself to the strong methods of laboratory-based research. Information Ecology asks three questions: What information is available? How is it used (or not)? And, why is it used (or not)?

Information about Predators Varies across an Amazonian Rain Forest as a Result of Sentinel Species Distribution

Information about predation risk is of fundamental value in biological communities. Because many prey species have shared predators, eavesdropping on other species' alarms is a widely recognized mechanism underlying the formation of mixed-species groups. However, information transfer may vary both across and within groups because some species provide higher-quality information about predators than others. We tested this phenomenon in Amazonian understory mixed-species flocks of birds in which two sentinel species-the bluish-slate antshrike (Thamnomanes schistogynus) and the dusky-throated antshrike (Thamnomanes ardesiacus)-occupy different habitats and provide alarm calls that are used by eavesdropping flock mates. In a playback experiment, two associate species responded significantly more strongly to alarm calls from the same sentinel species, reflecting the greater reliability of information about predator threats that could affect survival and habitat choice. Our work provides evidence of a repeated asymmetry across space in the available information about threats.