Applications of step-selection functions in ecology and conservation

Thurfjell, Ciuti, and Boyce reviewed the rapidly expanding use of step-selection functions, which model habitat selection by comparing each realized movement step with a set of available alternative steps drawn from the animal's own movement characteristics. The review explained the method's assumptions, its advantages over conventional resource-selection functions in accounting for movement constraints and availability, and the burgeoning applications to connectivity, corridor mapping, and response to human disturbance. It clarified practical issues such as how to generate available steps and interpret coefficients. For felid researchers, the review provided an accessible synthesis of a method ideally suited to inferring how cats navigate fragmented landscapes. It remains a standard entry point for understanding and applying step-selection analysis in movement ecology and conservation planning.