Understanding the numbers and distribution of waders and other animals in a changing world: habitat choice as the lock and the key

.” With these words Van Zomeren gives a powerful summary of that which makes most animal ecologists tick. He also suggests why animal ecology, in addition to the beauty and elegance of the science itself, could be relevant in a societal context. Animal ecologists try to understand the habitat choice of animals, they investigate the place and role of animals within a landscape, within sets of interconnected landscapes, within certain habitats in certain climate zones, in the world. Animal ecologists try to discover the mechanisms underlying the distribution and abundance of animals.