Ecophysiology and conservation: The contribution of energetics--introduction to the symposium.

Animal physiologists have begun making contributions to conservation biology based on their knowledge of endocrinology, immunology, and sensory biology. Contributions to this symposium use the perspective of energy and mass balance to examine questions about habitat usage, activity times, competition, foraging, reproduction, and body condition. Physiological constraints or requirements sculpt the behavioral and life history choices of individuals and provide mechanistic linkages with population processes and conservation policies.