LIFESCI 2D03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Kleptoparasitism, Diminishing Returns, Artificial Flower
12 Jan 2018
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Document Summary
Optimal patch-use model predicts how long a forager should exploit a food patch. Assumptions: foragers attempt to maximize energy intake rate, all patches are identical (contain the same kind and amount of food, travel time between patches is constant, as a forager depletes a patch, its instantaneous harvest rate declines. Feed on aquatic invertebrates and vegetation on muddy lake bottoms. Model accurately predicted patch use (mean # eaten) for most (4/6) of the ducks. Most of the ducks were maximizing energy intake rate: randomly changed the location of a single food patch. 1: birds needed about 5 search dives (vs 1) before they found the second patch. 5/6 birds ate significantly more food from the patch spent significantly more time. Ducks were attempting to maximize energy intake rate as assumed. Quitting harvest rate foragers instantaneous harvest rate when it leavens a food patch.
