Research overview: resource selection functions versus step-selection functions

This overview contrasts two dominant frameworks for analyzing habitat use from telemetry. Resource selection functions compare habitat at used locations with habitat available across some defined region, estimating relative probability of use but ignoring the path by which the animal arrived. Step-selection functions instead compare each used step with alternatives reachable from the previous location, embedding movement constraints and availability directly. The overview explains when each is appropriate, how the definition of availability shapes conclusions, and why step-selection better suits questions about how cats move through and choose among adjacent habitats. For connectivity and corridor work, where the realistic set of next moves matters, step-selection methods generally prevail. Understanding the distinction clarifies a large and sometimes confusing body of felid habitat-selection literature.