Abstract

Movement ecology is a rapidly maturing discipline with direct applications to today's conservation challenges. Movement reflects how animals interact with their environments and, thus, determines how they respond to both changing conditions and possible management interventions. Surprisingly, the full potential of integrating movement ecology with conservation science to develop more effective conservation strategies has remained untapped. Here, we argue that the conceptual and practical integration of these two disciplinary perspectives can create a mutually reinforcing cycle of knowledge production and conservation action that is essential for the preservation of global biodiversity. To facilitate the realization of this vision, we provide a framework for disciplinary integration and make specific recommendations for immediate action.