Chronoecology: New Light Through Old Windows — A Conclusion

Abstract

After presenting some introductory material, in the first section of this book, we provided some theoretical considerations that relate individual activity patterns of small mammals to physiological constraints (Chap. 3), and to ecological aspects of temporal behaviour (Chap. 4). The theoretical section also provided a general background to biological rhythms and biological clocks (Chap. 2). The other main section of the book surveyed our current knowledge of activity patterns in various small mammal groups as based on empirical findings. In this concluding chapter we, as the editors, want to provide a synthesis of the information presented in the previous 14 chapters. In doing so we will try to concentrate on the general features in-and behind-the various approaches to activity patterns by a comparison among small mammal species. We would like this synthesis to serve as a baseline to clarify where we are and to point towards future developments-for better understanding , and to address new challenges. As part of this concluding chapter we are suggesting a new term 'chronoecology' to frame the new field of research outlined in this book. Since chronobiology is a well-established term that represents a fairly active subdiscipline, the reader may suspect that introducing the new term is not more than a compulsory exercise to let things appear more relevant. However , we strongly believe that chronoecology is indeed more than just another word. As a matter of fact, we consider this term to stand for a recently emerging subdiscipline within the domain of behavioural ecology that spans the presently almost insurmountable gap between behavioural ecologists and chronobiologists, who seldom, if ever, are aware of each other. We also strongly believe that this intention is not a convulsive attempt to join things that do not belong together. Rather, we see a promising and rewarding potential for substantial new insights into animal behaviour when the profound knowledge in the two fields is combined in new conceptual and methodo-logical approaches.