MoveTraits – A database for integrating animal behaviour into trait-based ecology

Trait-based approaches are key to understanding eco-evolutionary processes but rarely account for animal behaviour despite its central role in ecosystem dynamics. We propose integrating behaviour into trait-based ecology through movement traits - standardised and comparable measures of animal movement derived from biologging data, such as daily displacements or range sizes. Accounting for animal behaviour will advance trait-based research on species interactions, community structure, and ecosystem functioning. Importantly, movement traits allow for quantification of behavioural reaction norms, offering insights into species’ acclimation and adaptive capacity to environmental change. We outline a vision for a ’living’ global movement trait database that enhances trait data curation by (1) continuously growing alongside shared biologging data, (2) calculating traits directly from individual-level data using standardised, consistent methodology, and (3) providing information on multi-level (species, individual, within-individual) trait variation. We present a proof-of-concept ‘MoveTraits’ database with 55 mammal and 108 bird species, demonstrating calculation workflows for 5 traits across multiple time scales. Movement traits have significant potential to improve trait-based global change predictions and contribute to global biodiversity assessments as Essential Biodiversity Variables. By making animal movement data more accessible and interpretable, this database could bridge the gap between movement ecology and biodiversity policy, facilitating evidence-based conservation.