Behavioural Responses to a Changing World

For many animals, behavioural adjustments represent the first response to human-modified conditions. By improving reproduction and survival, such adjustments can play the lead in maintaining viable populations in the face of rapid environmental change. Behavioural responses, however, can also be maladaptive and reduce individual fitness, particularly if favourable 'reaction norms' have not yet evolved because animals are encountering conditions that they have never experienced before. Clear...