The missing metric in ecological studies: Land tenure system of territorial carnivores

Land tenure is a fundamental ecological process in territorial animals; it reflects how individuals establish and maintain access to space and resources. First conceptualised by Hornocker in 1969, it provides an early understanding of population dynamics. However, this critical aspect for interpreting the stability, predictability and exclusivity of a population is rarely evaluated. To date, there has been no clear ecological definition of the land tenure system. To understand this concept, we review more than 50 years of research on territorial carnivores and synthesise how land tenure has been quantified across taxa. We examine how this aspect links population and demographic processes that lead to species conservation in various landscape scenarios. The goal is to develop a standardised approach across species and landscapes to evaluate land tenure by providing a framework and testable hypotheses. As land tenure provides critical insights into the spatial stability of populations and informs conservation planning, its limited integration into ecological studies remains concerning despite advances in population ecology and monitoring technologies. We attempted to build a foundation for future research that aims to measure population stability and species persistence.