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8 results for “Foraging: theory”
Data for: Nest material preferences in wild hazel dormice Muscardinus avellanarius: Testing predictions from optimal foraging theory
<p class="MsoNormal">Obtaining nesting material presents an optimal foraging problem, collection of materials incurs a cost in terms of risk of predation and energy spent, and individuals must balance these costs with the benefits of using that material in the nest. The hazel dormouse, <em>Muscardinus avellanarius</em> is an endangered British mammal in which both sexes build nests. However, whether material used in their construction follows the predictions of optimal foraging theory is unknown. Here, we analyse the use of nesting materials in forty two breeding nests from six locations in Southwest England. Nests were characterised in terms of which plants were used, the relative amount of each plant, and how far away the nearest source was. We find that dormice exhibit a preference for plants closer to the nest, but that the distance they are prepared to travel depends on the plant species. Dormice travelled further to collect honeysuckle <em>Lonicera periclymenum</em>, oak <em>Quercus robur</em>, and beech <em>Fagus sylvatica</em> than any other plants. Distance did not affect the relative amount used, although the proportion of honeysuckle in nests was highest, and more effort was expended collecting honeysuckle, beech, bramble <em>Rubus fruticosus</em> and oak compared to other plants. Our results suggest that not all aspects of optimal foraging theory apply to nest material collection. However, optimal foraging theory is a useful model to examine nest material collection, providing testable predictions. As found previously honeysuckle is important as a nesting material, and should be taken account when assessing suitability of sites for dormice.</p>
Data for: Nest material preferences in wild hazel dormice Muscardinus avellanarius: Testing predictions from optimal foraging theory
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Data from: Empirical evidence that large marine predator foraging behavior is consistent with area-restricted search theory
When prey is patchily distributed, predators are expected to spend more time searching for food in proximity of recent prey captures before searching in other areas. This behavior, known as area-restricted search, results in predators remaining localized in areas where prey had been detected previously because of the higher probability of encountering additional prey. However, few studies have tested these predictions on marine species because of the difficulties of observing feeding behavior. In this study, we utilized passive acoustic detections of echolocating dolphins to identify foraging behavior. C-PODs (click train detectors) were deployed for two years with an acoustic recorder attached to the same mooring during the second year. The time series of feeding buzzes, indicative of foraging behavior, revealed that both bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) were more likely to stay in the area longer when foraging activity was high at the beginning of the encounter. The probability of foraging was also higher following previous foraging activity. This suggests that dolphins were feeding on spatially patchy prey and previous foraging experience influenced their movement behavior. This is consistent with the predictions of area-restricted search behavior, a nonrandom foraging strategy.
Data from: Moving on with foraging theory: incorporating movement decisions into the functional response of a gregarious shorebird
1. Models relating intake rate to food abundance and competitor densities (generalized functional response models) can predict forager distributions and movements between patches, but we lack understanding of how distributions and small-scale movements by the foragers themselves affect intake rates. 2. Using a state-of-the-art approach based on continuous-time Markov chain dynamics, we add realism to classic functional response models by acknowledging that the chances to encounter food and competitors are influenced by movement decisions, and, vice versa, that movement decisions are influenced by these encounters. 3. We used a multi-state modelling framework to construct a stochastic functional response model in which foragers alternate between three behavioural states: searching, handling and moving. 4. Using behavioural observations on a molluscivore migrant shorebird (red knot, Calidris canutus canutus), at its main wintering area (Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania), we estimated transition rates between foraging states as a function of conspecific densities and densities of the two main bivalve prey. 5. Intake rate decreased with conspecific density. This interference effect was not due to decreased searching efficiency, but resulted from time lost to avoidance movements. 6. Red knots showed a strong functional response to one prey (Dosinia isocardia), but a weak response to the other prey (Loripes lucinalis). This corroborates predictions from a recently developed optimal diet model that accounts for the mildly toxic effects due to consuming Loripes. 7. Using model-averaging across the most plausible multi-state models, the fully parameterized functional response model was then used to predict intake rate for an independent dataset on habitat choice by red knot. 8. Comparison of the sites selected by red knots with random sampling sites showed that the birds fed at sites with higher than average Loripes and Dosinia densities, i.e. sites for which we predicted higher than average intake rates. 9. We discuss the limitations of Holling's classical functional response model that ignores movement and the limitations of contemporary movement ecological theory ignoring consumer-resource interactions. With the rapid advancement of technologies to track movements of individual foragers at fine spatial scales, the time seems ripe to integrate descriptive tracking studies with stochastic movement-based functional response models.
Data from: Empirical evidence that large marine predator foraging behavior is consistent with area-restricted search theory
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Data from: Moving on with foraging theory: incorporating movement decisions into the functional response of a gregarious shorebird
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Data for "An application of upscaled optimal foraging theory using hidden Markov modelling: year-round behavioural variation in a large arctic herbivore"
<p>Data for the article “An application of upscaled optimal foraging theory using hidden Markov modelling: year-round behavioural variation in a large arctic herbivore”</p> <p>By LT Beumer, J Pohle, NMS Schmidt, M Chimienti, JP Desforges, LH Hansen, R Langrock, SH Pedersen, M Stelvig, FM van Beest</p> <p> </p> <p>The data set includes three files: A readme file describing the data files and two data files accompanying the above publication.</p> <p>Combined, the two data files represent the dataset collected by GPS collars fitted on 19 female muskoxen in northeast Greenland (28 muskox-years with 153-1062 observation days/animal) and associated extracted covariates, divided into a summer and winter season dataset as modelled in the article. Data here are given as included in the models (for a description of cleaning procedures, see article). All continuous, non-cyclical covariates were standardised to have zero mean and unit standard deviation to improve numerical stability of parameter estimation. This is indicated by “_scaled” in the column name.</p> <p>For further queries please contact nms@bios.au.dk</p>
Data from: A breath of fresh air in the foraging theory: the importance of wind for food size selection in a central place forager
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