In this lecture, we pivot from thinking about optimal group size when animals have positive externalities to using the same logic to better understand how animals distribute themselves within a habitat. We introduce interference and scramble competition as mechanisms that couple animal decision making, and then we introduce the Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) as a concept that can predict the likely location of animals under these competitive pressures. The IFD is a natural extension of the matching law from psychology. There can be variations of the IFD due to differences in competitive ability (which are modeled by the ideal despotic distribution, IDD) as well as due to non-foraging-related conspecific attraction (which can lead to colony life). The IFD does give us an opportunity to introduce the Nash equilibrium, which we then use to discuss another important model in social foraging, the stag hunt game. Closing with the stag hunt game lets us introduce concepts such as social efficiency, payoff and risk dominance, and coordination and assurance games.
Topic highlights:
- habitat selection
- interference and scramble competition
- the ideal free distribution (IFD) and the matching law
- conspecific attraction and colony life
- game theory and the Nash equilibrium
- the stag hunt game as an assurance/coordination game
Important terms: habitat choice/selection, interference competition, scramble competition, ideal free distribution (IFD), matching law (from psychology), ideal despotic distribution (IDD), conspecific attraction, colony, Nash equilibrium, stag hunt game, socially efficient, payoff dominant, risk dominant, coordination game, assurance game
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