A Comprehensive Analysis of the Impact of Selecting the Training Set Elements on the Correctness of Classification for Highly Variable Ecological Data

Classification of objects in empirical data, especially in biological sciences, is a very complex process and has been a big challenge for researchers who do not specialize in data analysis. Therefore, in this study, we present a comprehensive summary of selected classifiers operating on both exact and fuzzy numbers. The results of performance of specific classifiers are compared on the example of a unique set of empirical data on changes in the behavior of animals in response to environmental factors. This is one of the key challenges in ecological research and it is strictly related to ecosystem changes caused by climate change. Nowadays, changes in behavior are a very popular topic of research because as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lower activity of people (lockdown effect). Therefore, various unusual reactions of wild animals were found around the world. A detailed compilation of research results, shortcomings, and strengths of various classification methods may be a compendium of knowledge for biologists and other practitioners as well as researchers working with empirical data.