Background/Question/Methods Physical environments influence the movement patterns of animals and therefore their social interactions. The distribution of resources determines where animals meet, for example when accessing food, water, mates etc. Physical barriers, such as rivers and mountain ranges, influence which individuals can meet, and which cannot. Because animal interactions often require physical proximity, it is important to uncover the spatial and ecological influences on the movements that bring animals together. In this talk I will discuss different types of barriers to animal movements and the types of interactions they influence. To generalize the analysis of the relationship between social and spatial networks, I will present how spatial and social networks can be integrated using a multilayer network framework. Furthermore, social interactions are the foundation of emergent collective outcomes, therefore, spatial constraints on social interactions can influence collective behavior. Using field and lab experiments, along with computer simulations I will present empirical and theoretical research on how ant nest structures influence collective behavior and colony organization. Using network analysis, comparative meta-analysis, and quantification methods from the field of architecture I will ask which spatial features of the ant nests influence collective foraging and how these features change across ant species. Results/Conclusions I show that nest connectivity and the presence of path redundancy facilitate rapid recruitment to food. Furthermore, ant species with larger colonies have more nest chambers than species with small colonies, but the increase in number of chambers does not lead to increased nest connectivity. By taking an interdisciplinary approach and exchanging ideas with social scientists, architects, and mathematicians, we can begin to answer new questions about the impact of spatial and ecological constraints on the ecology, evolution, and behavior of animals.
