Optimal Foraging Theory

The study of foraging behavior states that organisms forage in such(prenominal) a way as to maximize their net nix intake per unit time. In other words, they behave in such a way as to find, capture and guide provender containing the most calories while expending the least come of time possible in doing so. The understanding of many bionomic concepts such as adaptation, energy flow and competition hinges on the ability to comprehend what food items animals select, and why.

MacArthur and Pianka (1966) developed a supposititious and empirical construct, the optimal foraging theory (OFT), which led to a better understanding of foraging behavior. Emlen (1966) published a makeup on foraging behavior at the same time. Although it was incompatible in detail, it demonstrated the need for a model where food item selection of animals could be understood as an evolutionary construct which maximizes the net energy gained per unit feeding time. virtuoso example is the crows that drop welks on the ground to crack liberal the shells. The crow must make several decisions. Mostly, how high should it aviate before it drops the welk? If it flies high, they need to drop the welk fewer times. But, the high the crow flies, the more energy it spends.



It would be possible to theoretically calculate which extremum is the most optimum to drop the welk base on the least energy expenditure. From this theoretical estimate you an go come to the fore in the wild and estimate what is the actual mediocre height that a crow drops a welk. It turns out that the height seen in the wild is the same as the theoretical best value. Handling time, another common optimal foraging sample is to look at the optimal size of target area for a bird to get the most energy per time out of a system. Central Place Foraging, Birds are most know for this type of foraging theory. This is primarily because birds have a approach and bequeath then go out to forage. The idea is that birds will bring back more or larger prey when they are away from the nest than when...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



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