5 Conclusions
Accurate prediction of the spatial distribution of contacts is valuable for understanding various ecological processes, including disease systems and predator-prey encounters. Our contact-RSF model employs a used-available framework, using contact locations as ”used” points and resource select locations as ”available” points. This approach enables us to compare the landscape characteristics at the site of contact with those more generally used. Furthermore, it allows us to assess the utility of predicting contact from habitat selection. Our method, therefore, can identify multiple aspects of the spatial ecology of contact-related processes and disentangle their environmental drivers, which opens a door to mechanistic understanding of contact ecology.