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Related Experiment Videos

The compression hypothesis and temporal resource partitioning.

T W Schoener1

  • 1Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|October 1, 1974
PubMed
Summary

Contingency models explain optimal foraging by comparing resource gain versus expected gain if skipped. Animals specialize in food/habitat but generalize in time when resources are abundant, reversing this as abundance decreases.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Foraging Theory
  • Optimal Decision-Making

Background:

  • Contingency models of feeding evaluate resource unit profitability (energy/time) against the expected gain from skipping.
  • Optimal foraging theory predicts animals should reject resources if current gain is less than potential future gain.
  • Resource abundance influences specialization in food/habitat types versus temporal feeding periods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how contingency models predict animal foraging strategies under varying resource abundance.
  • To analyze the impact of competitors on diet and habitat selection, and temporal feeding patterns.
  • To investigate the conditions favoring temporal resource partitioning and specialization.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis based on contingency models of feeding.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparison of energy gain per unit time for resource utilization versus skipping.
  • Examination of how food abundance and competitor presence affect foraging decisions.

    • Main Results:

    • High food abundance leads to specialization in food/habitat types and generalization in time; decreased abundance reverses this.
    • Competitors can influence habitat selection but rarely cause abandonment of time periods unless depletion is severe.
    • Temporal resource partitioning is predicted to be rare, occurring mainly in animals with limited processing abilities or in variable climates.

    Conclusions:

    • Contingency models provide a framework for understanding flexible foraging strategies.
    • Resource abundance and competitor interactions are key drivers of specialization and generalization in foraging.
    • Specialization in feeding periods is context-dependent, linked to animal capabilities and environmental variability.