foraging theory
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2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany K Hayward-Brown ◽  
Tara L Crewe ◽  
Sydney J Collett ◽  
Vinay Udyawer ◽  
Ian J Radford ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundInformation on site utilisation and movement is essential for managing species' resource requirements. Collecting these data requires frequent location sampling of multiple individuals, which can be challenging for small-bodied animals due to the often-large size of animal-borne satellite-based telemetry devices. We show how coded VHF-radio nano-transmitters and an array of passive receivers to collect location data at sufficient frequency and accuracy can be utilised to test whether the highly mobile and small-bodied Gouldian finch adheres to optimal foraging theory within a landscape of high spatiotemporal heterogeneity.MethodsCoded VHF-radio nano-transmitters (0.23 g wt.) were attached to 38 Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae; < 12g bd. wt). Tagged birds were then detected by an array of 6 passive VHF-radio receivers (~ 530 m detection range) spread over 120 km2. We tracked the tagged birds during two sessions corresponding with high and low abundance of their primary food resource (Sorghum spp. seed). The mean and total duration that an individual spent within any receiver detection field (residence time) were used as dependants in a generalised linear mixed model approach within a Bayesian framework to assess the influence of tracking session, life stage, receiver site, and release site. Network analysis revealed the importance of specific areas for the finches within the receiver array using the proportional time a bird spent within any receiver's detection field and the movement between adjacent detection fields. ResultsThe daily mean and total duration that a tagged individual spent within a receiver detection field decreased by ~50% between periods of high and low seed availability, while the extent of movements across the landscape increased with a decline in seed resources. These data support the hypothesis that the Gouldian finch adheres to optimal foraging theory to survive periods of food scarcity. ConclusionsThe data collected via passive telemetry technology support the hypothesis that the Gouldian finch adheres to optimal foraging theory and uses alternative behavioural strategies to survive periods of food scarcity. Specifically, we found that Gouldian finches reduced the time spent foraging within a patch, increased the frequency of transit flights among patches, and expanded the size of their activity space as grass resources declined.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. e1009662
Author(s):  
Michael R. Traner ◽  
Ethan S. Bromberg-Martin ◽  
Ilya E. Monosov

Classic foraging theory predicts that humans and animals aim to gain maximum reward per unit time. However, in standard instrumental conditioning tasks individuals adopt an apparently suboptimal strategy: they respond slowly when the expected value is low. This reward-related bias is often explained as reduced motivation in response to low rewards. Here we present evidence this behavior is associated with a complementary increased motivation to search the environment for alternatives. We trained monkeys to search for reward-related visual targets in environments with different values. We found that the reward-related bias scaled with environment value, was consistent with persistent searching after the target was already found, and was associated with increased exploratory gaze to objects in the environment. A novel computational model of foraging suggests that this search strategy could be adaptive in naturalistic settings where both environments and the objects within them provide partial information about hidden, uncertain rewards.


2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-236
Author(s):  
Samuel Seuru ◽  
Ariane Burke ◽  
Liliana Perez

Hoy en día el conejo europeo (Oryctolagus cuniculus) es considerado invasivo en varios países. Sin embargo, los motivos del inicio de la explotación de este lagomorfo en el Paleolítico Superior en la península ibérica son objeto de un intenso debate sin que todavía exista un consenso general sobre las causas que explican su introducción en la dieta de los cazadores-recolectores ibéricos. En este artículo, primero presentamos cómo su caza comenzó antes del Último Máximo Glacial (UMG), aumentando durante este periodo. Luego evaluamos las principales hipótesis del Modelo de Amplitud de Dieta (Diet Breadth Model), desarrollado a partir de la Teoría del Forrajeo Óptimo (Optimal Foraging Theory). Este modelo (a veces implícito) es el origen de algunas de estas hipótesis, pero hasta ahora nunca se había aplicado de forma concreta al UMG en la península ibérica. En consecuencia, nosotros lo hemos hecho y los resultados obtenidos no parecen apoyar las hipótesis que defienden una intensificación de la explotación del medio ambiente. Sugerimos que el aprovechamiento de este taxon en torno al UMG en Iberia podría explicarse más bien por el uso de redes entre varias personas. [fr] Bien qu’aujourd’hui le lapin de garenne (Oryctolagus cuniculus) soit considéré comme une espèce invasive dans plusieurs pays, il fait l’objet d’un débat intense quant aux raisons du début de son exploitation durant le Paléolithique supérieur dans la péninsule ibérique. Cependant, aucun consensus général n’existe afin d’expliquer les causes de son introduction dans la diète des chasseurs-cueilleurs ibériens. Ici, nous présentons d’abord que sa chasse a débuté avant le Dernier Maximum Glaciaire (DMG) et qu’elle s’est accrue durant cette période. Ensuite, nous évaluons les principales hypothèses soutenues à partir du Modèle Classique du Régime Alimentaire (MCRA; Diet Breadth Model) issu de la Théorie de l’Approvisionnement Optimal (TAO; Optimal Foraging Theory). Bien que ce modèle soit à l’origine (parfois implicitement) de plusieurs de ces hypothèses, il n’a jamais été appliqué concrètement au DMG dans la péninsule. Nous avons alors appliqué ce modèle et les résultats obtenus ne semblent pas appuyer les hypothèses soutenant une intensification de l’exploitation de l’environnement. Plutôt, nous suggérons que l’utilisation de filets par plusieurs personnes pourrait expliquer l’exploitation de ce taxon autour du DMG en Ibérie.


2021 ◽  
pp. 79-88
Author(s):  
John P. DeLong

This chapter is a refresher on the prey model of classic optimal foraging theory through the lens of this book. I build on the multi-species functional response, the selection ideas, and the parameter breakdown presented in the preceding chapters to argue for how optimal foraging might arise. I rederive the models and suggest that optimal foraging theory may still be relevant to understanding predator–prey interactions, in particular in the context of multi-species functional responses. I also address the possibility that predators mostly have broad diets because they experience low prey abundances most of the time in nature.


Author(s):  
Maria L. Montoya Freire ◽  
Antti Oulasvirta ◽  
Mario Di Francesco

Users' engagement with pervasive displays has been extensively studied, however, determining how their content is interesting remains an open problem. Tracking of body postures and gaze has been explored as an indication of attention; still, existing works have not been able to estimate the interest of passers-by from readily available data, such as the display viewing time. This article presents a simple yet accurate method of estimating users' interest in multiple content items shown at the same time on displays. The proposed approach builds on the information foraging theory, which assumes that users optimally decide on the content they consume. Through inverse foraging, the parameters of a foraging model are fitted to the values of viewing times observed in practice, to yield estimates of user interest. Different foraging models are evaluated by using synthetic data and with a controlled user study. The results demonstrate that inverse foraging accurately estimates interest, achieving an R2 above 70% in comparison to self-reported interest. As a consequence, the proposed solution allows to dynamically adapt the content shown on pervasive displays, based on viewing data that can be easily obtained in field deployments.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9152
Author(s):  
Christina M. Giovas

Multiple studies reveal pre-1492 anthropogenic impacts on Caribbean fisheries that are consistent with overfishing, including changes in targeted prey, shifts in marine habitats exploited, and decreases in the average body size of taxa. At the Indigenous Caribbean village of Sabazan (AD 400–1400) on Carriacou, Lesser Antilles, post-AD 800 declines in fishing, increased mollusk collection, and changes in resource patch emphasis accord with the archaeological correlates of resource depression predicted by foraging theory models from behavioral ecology. Here, I apply foraging theory logic and abundance indices incorporating body size and fish habitat to test the predictions of expanded diet breadth, declining prey body size, and shifts to more distant fishing patches that are typically associated with overfishing. Results uphold a significant decrease in overall fishing, which may be due to habitat change associated with the Medieval Warm Period. Indices of fish size and resource patch use do not meet foraging theory expectations for resource depression, however. Instead, they suggest an absence of resource depression in the Sabazan fishery and at least 600 years of sustainable fishing. I review similar findings for other Caribbean archaeological sites with either negative evidence for fisheries’ declines or quantitatively demonstrated sustainable fishing. These sites collectively serve as a critical reminder of the heterogeneous trajectories of Indigenous social–ecological systems in the pre-contact Caribbean and the need for meta-level analyses of the region’s ancient fisheries. I discuss the application of the sustainability concept in archaeological studies of fishing and conclude that a more critical, explicit approach to defining and measuring sustainability in ancient fisheries is needed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Kaur Kuttal ◽  
Abim Sedhain ◽  
Benjamin Riethmeier

Web-active end-user programmers spend substantial time and cognitive effort seeking information while debugging web mashups, which are platforms for creating web applications by combining data and functionality from two or more different sources. The debugging on these platforms is challenging as end user programmers need to forage within the mashup environment to find bugs and on the web to forage for the solution to those bugs. To understand the foraging behavior of end-user programmers when debugging, we used information forging theory. Information foraging theory helps understand how users forage for information and has been successfully used to understand and model user behavior when foraging through documents, the web, user interfaces, and programming environments. Through the lens of information foraging theory, we analyzed the data from a controlled lab study of eight web-active end-user programmers. The programmers completed two debugging tasks using the Yahoo! Pipes web mashup environment. On analyzing the data, we identified three types of cues: clear, fuzzy, and elusive. Clear cues helped participants to find and fix bugs with ease while fuzzy and elusive cues led to useless foraging. We also identified the strategies used by the participants when finding and fixing bugs. Our results give us a better understanding of the programming behavior of web-active end-users and can inform researchers and professionals how to create better support for the debugging process. Further, this study methodology can be adapted by researchers to understand other aspects of programming such as implementing, reusing, and maintaining code.


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