Searching Behaviour, The Behavioural Ecology of Finding Resources

TLDR: Theoretical framework for the localization and assessment of resources has been proposed in this paper, where three search mechanisms have been proposed: orientation cues, internal sensory information, and external sensory information.

Abstract: One Introduction.- 1 Theoretical framework.- 1.1 Animal abilities (internal constraints).- 1.2 Resource availability and distribution (external constraints).- 1.3 Efficiency and optimization.- 1.4 Trade-offs: competition and risks.- 1.5 Plasticity in searching behaviour.- 1.6 Summary and conclusions.- Two Information for the Localization and Assessment of Resources.- 2 Orientation cues: information for searching.- 2.1 Orientation based on external sensory information.- 2.2 Orientation based on internally-stored or internally-derived information.- 2.3 Stochastic influences or 'noise'.- 2.4 Summary and conclusions.- 3 Scanning mechanisms.- 3.1 Vision.- 3.2 Mechanoreception.- 3.3 Contact chemoreception and olfaction.- 3.4 Audition.- 3.5 Summary and conclusions.- 4 Initiating factors: when to search.- 4.1 Searching rhythms.- 4.2 Resource stimulus.- 4.3 Physiological state.- 4.4 Summary and conclusions.- 5 Assessment mechanisms: resource, patch and habitat selection.- 5.1 Assessment of resources.- 5.2 Assessment of patches and habitats.- 5.3 Summary and conclusions.- Three Search Mechanisms.- 6 Locating patches and distant resources.- 6.1 Searching when no environmental cues are available.- 6.2 Searching based on environmental cues.- 6.3 Summary and conclusions.- 7 Restricting search to a patch.- 7.1 Looping/spiralling or zigzag motor patterns.- 7.2 Patch-edge recognition.- 7.3 Variable move lengths.- 7.4 Changes in arrival-departure directions.- 7.5 Summary and conclusions.- 8 Foraging in the most profitable patches and leaving when profitability declines.- 8.1 Simple patch-departure mechanisms.- 8.2 Counting and keeping track of time to decide when to leave a patch.- 8.3 Can animals really estimate capture rate?.- 8.4 Summary and conclusions.- 9 When to return to a resource patch.- 9.1 Cropping.- 9.2 Traplining.- 9.3 Leaving patches early.- 9.4 Summary and conclusions.- 10 Learning to forage efficiently.- 10.1 Conditioning.- 10.2 Sampling between patches.- 10.3 Switching between patches conditional on what other individuals are doing.- 10.4 Sampling and spatial memory.- 10.5 More on spatial memory.- 10.6 Summary and conclusions.- 11 Exploratory behaviour.- 11.1 Summary and conclusions.- 12 Central place foraging.- 12.1 Distance travelled and patch choice as related to metabolic costs.- 12.2 Distance travelled as a function of predation risks.- 12.3 Group effects.- 12.4 Summary and conclusions.- Four Sources of Variability.- 13 External environment.- 13.1 Abiotic factors.- 13.2 Biotic environment.- 13.3 Influences of other individuals.- 13.4 Alternatives to searching.- 13.5 Summary and conclusions.- 14 Internal environment.- 14.1 Deprivation: time-dependent effects on searching.- 14.2 Status-dependent changes in searching behaviour.- 14.3 Summary and conclusions.- 15 Genetic factors.- 15.1 Variability in searching traits.- 15.2 Interactions between internal and external environment and genes.- 15.3 Summary and conclusions.- 16 Ontogenetic and maternal influences.- 16.1 Maternal effects.- 16.2 Juvenile behaviours.- 16.3 Early adult experiences.- 16.4 Summary and conclusions.- Five Methodology.- 17 Analysing search tracks.- 17.1 Data collection.- 17.2 Analysis of tracks.- 17.3 Summary and conclusions.- 18 Computer simulations of search behaviour locomotory patterns.- 18.1 Summary and conclusions.- References.