Thomas Caraco

Bio: Thomas Caraco is an academic researcher from University at Albany, SUNY. The author has contributed to research in topics: Foraging & Population. The author has an hindex of 41, co-authored 103 publications receiving 8738 citations. Previous affiliations of Thomas Caraco include State University of New York System & Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

On foraging time allocation in a stochastic environment

Abstract: A model of foraging in a stochastic environment is presented. Drawing on statistical decision theory, this paper suggests that maximization of expected utility may be a useful optimization criterion for ecological problems. The common notion of feeding preferences is extended to prefer- ences over the probability distributions of net energetic benefits associated with available resources. By incorporating a forager's response to environmental variation, the model can lead to predictions that contrast with those of most deterministic feeding models.

Time Budgeting and Group Size: A Test of Theory

Abstract: Foraging flocks of granivorous Yellow-eyed Juncos (Junco phaeonotus) were studied for two winters to test hypothesized relationships between group size and time budgets Required feeding time is so large that it constrains aggression At low temperatures (high foraging requirements) a large flock forms in the area of maximal food availability Group size decreases at warmer temper- atures, since the constraints on aggression are reduced Group size variance responds similarly As group size increases, individuals scan less often for approaching predators The time saved is employed to increase feeding rates, unless aggression levels are extremely high Rates of aggressive interaction increase with group size, and with both ambient temperature and food density Dominants apparently forage more efficiently than subordinates because of differences in habitat utilization and time allocation These differences are consistent with the hypothesized correlation between increasing dominance and greater overwinter survivorship

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

The Theory of Island Biogeography

Abstract: Preface to the Princeton Landmarks in Biology Edition vii Preface xi Symbols Used xiii 1. The Importance of Islands 3 2. Area and Number of Speicies 8 3. Further Explanations of the Area-Diversity Pattern 19 4. The Strategy of Colonization 68 5. Invasibility and the Variable Niche 94 6. Stepping Stones and Biotic Exchange 123 7. Evolutionary Changes Following Colonization 145 8. Prospect 181 Glossary 185 References 193 Index 201

Behavioral decisions made under the risk of predation: a review and prospectus

Abstract: Predation has long been implicated as a major selective force in the evolution of several morphological and behavioral characteristics of animals. The importance of predation during evolutionary ti...

Random graphs

Abstract: We will review some of the major results in random graphs and some of the more challenging open problems. We will cover algorithmic and structural questions. We will touch on newer models, including those related to the WWW.

Sources, Sinks, and Population Regulation

Abstract: Animal and plant populations often occupy a variety of local areas and may experience different local birth and death rates in different areas. When this occurs, reproductive surpluses from productive source habitats may maintain populations in sink habitats, where local reproductive success fails to keep pace with local mortality. For animals with active habitat selection, an equilibrium with both source and sink habitats occupied can be both ecologically and evolutionarily stable. If the surplus population of the source is large and the per capita deficit in the sink is small, only a small fraction of the total population will occur in areas where local reproduction is sufficient to compensate for local mortality. In this sense, the realized niche may be larger than the fundamental niche. Consequently, the particular species assemblage occupying any local study site may consist of a mixture of source and sink populations and may be as much or more influenced by the type and proximity of other habitats a...