Testing Learning Paradigms in the Field

Abstract

An animals’ foraging efficiency may be enhanced by generating rules or strategies of behavior that increase the probability of encountering suitable prey or food patches (Kamil, 1984; Parker, 1986). The information upon which these strategies are based is acquired during a process of exploration and sampling, and is associated with both random encounters and expectations regarding the productivity and distribution of previously visited feeding sites. As resources become depleted and change in spatial and temporal availability, animals must incorporate new or updated information in order to generate more effective foraging patterns. The ability of a forager to exploit resources efficiently is dependent, therefore, on its ability to remember and integrate information concerning: (1) direction, position, and distance between multiple feeding sites; (2) food availability in a patch prior to and after a foraging bout (rates of renewal); (3) number of visits to a patch and time interval since last visit; and, (4) food type associated with a specific feeding site (Dolins 1993; see also Krebs et al, 1977, 1978; Krebs, 1981; Shettleworth & Krebs, 1982; Vander Wall, 1982, 1990; Balda & Turek, 1984; Sherry, 1984; Stephens & Krebs, 1986; Armstrong et al, 1987; Garber, 1988, 1989; Milton, 1988; Brown & Gass, 1993).