How memory-based movement leads to nonterritorial spatial segregation

Home ranges (HRs) are a remarkably common form of animal space use, but we still lack an integrated view of the individual-level processes that can lead to their emergence and maintenance, particularly when individuals are in competition for resources. We built a spatially explicit mechanistic movement model to investigate how simple memory-based foraging rules may enable animals to establish HRs and to what extent this increases their foraging efficiency compared to individuals that do not base foraging decisions on memory. We showed that these simple rules enable individuals to perform better than individuals using the most efficient strategy that does not rely on memory and drive them to spatially segregate through avoidance of resource patches used by others. This striking result questions the common assumption that low HR overlaps are indicators of territorial behavior. Indeed, it appears that, by using an information-updating system, individuals can keep their environment relatively predictable without paying the cost of defending an exclusive space. However, memory-based foraging strategies leading to HR emergence seem unable to prevent the disruptive effects of the arrival of new individuals. This calls for further research on the mechanisms that can stabilize HR spatial organization in the long term.