habitat choice and foraging

Question 1

what is habitat choice

Answer 1

an active decision of where to live which is dictated by evolved adaptive skill and is heritable

Question 2

what is the goal of habitat choice

Answer 2

enhanced fitness eg aphids do better on their own leaves at the base

Question 3

what is ideal free distribution

Answer 3

individuals assess free space and resources and behave accordingly. seen in habitat choice but also foraging and mating

Question 4

what is migration

Answer 4

movements between two discrete locations which is non- accidental and enhances fitness. it is often temporally predictable and includes a return journey

Question 5

what is calculated migration

Answer 5

a conscious choice of where to migrate eg female gorillas migrate to where there is more males for increased protection

Question 6

what is the genetic basis of migration

Answer 6

individuals migrate according to genetic factors eg crossing two migratory bird species produced an intermediate on migration direction

Question 7

what is the ESS regarding migration

Answer 7

it is mixed. if the winter is mild then everyone would benefit by not migrating but if its harsh then only a few would benefit from staying due to limited resources

Question 8

why does migration show game theory

Answer 8

it is dependent on other individuals eg dominant individuals are always better off staying as they are able to defend resources. status can change eg age, experience

Question 9

what is orientation

Answer 9

bearing with respect to current position or a landmark. it is split into kinesis (non- directional stimulus) or taxes (directional stimulus)

Question 10

what is navigation

Answer 10

finding a way from current position to a desired location in a map- like fashion

Question 11

what is foraging

Answer 11

finding food for short term survival or survival to reproduce

Question 12

what is the foraging model

Answer 12

a model weighing the benefit (energy) and cost (time/ risk) with constraints (animal capability, prey density/ value etc)

Question 13

what is the patch choice model

Answer 13

choosing when to move patch. it has constraints eg time searching/ travelling, encounters are sequential, diminishing return etc)

Question 14

what is marginal choice theorum

Answer 14

an optimality model of the gains an individual may achieve by switching patch

Question 15

what is central place foraging

Answer 15

patches are close and food is brought back to a central location eg nest. if the patches are further the load may be larger as the cost of two trips outweighs the rise of dropping a larger load

Question 16

why may optimality fail when considering patch choice

Answer 16

there may be unforeseen constraints eg predation risk, unclear risk, other currencies eg efficiency where a larger load may require more energy to carry

Question 17

what is social aggregation

Answer 17

sufficient proximity to exchange information which is actively sought and lasts a period of time. it is not mutually exclusive with territory

Question 18

what are the benefits of social aggregation

Answer 18

hunting benefits (can hunt larger prey), anti- predator benefits, sharing food information

Question 19

what are the costs of social aggregation

Answer 19

there is increased competition eg food mates, increased risk of spreading pathogens