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Al-Shami, Salah Abdulaziz. "Observations on the foraging behaviour of sheep using a high-level feeder technique." Thesis, Bangor University, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.310871.
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Possingham, Hugh Philip. "A model of resource renewal and depletion." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.253379.
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Freidin, Esteban. "Rationality, foraging, and associative learning : an integraltive approach." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2007. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:76c2b5f0-aa69-4cb7-9bfb-21b14dd510d2.
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One basic requisite for rationality is that choices are consistent across situations. Animals commonly violate rationality premises as evidenced, for example, by context-dependent choices, and such apparent irrationalities stand as paradoxes that instigate re-examination of some assumptions in behaviour ecological modelling. The goal of the present thesis was to study the psychological mechanisms underlying apparent irrationalities in order to assess the functional implications of general processes of valuation and choice. A common thread through the different studies is the hypothesis that most animal 'irrationalities' are due to misinterpretation of what the optimum would be in natural circumstances, and hence of the maximised currency in the theoretical predictions. I believe that the trait that may have been of paramount influence in many organisms' selective history was the ability to learn about the predictability of events and their biological value, and that this is implemented in an overriding force of associative learning mechanisms. In chapters 2 and 3, I present evidence of context-dependent foraging choices in European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, in the laboratory, and I implement a version of the Rescorla- Wagner learning model to account for both present data and apparent irrationalities reported by other authors. In chapter 4, I test the notion that context dependence may in fact be adaptive when animals face sequential choices, namely when they have to decide whether to take a prey item or to skip it in order to search for better alternatives. In chapter 5, I explore the functional implications of starlings' relative responding to incentives during an unexpected shortfall in reinforcement, and I also examine the extent to which information about the new environmental status helps them avoid energetic and time costs commonly seen in uninformed individuals. Last, in chapter 6, I present a brief summary of the main discussions considered and conclusions reached along this thesis.
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Troisi, Camille A. "An investigation of teaching behaviour in primates and birds." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/12008.
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Many animals socially learn, but very few do so through teaching, where an individual modifies its behaviour in order to facilitate learning for another individual. Teaching behaviour is costly, but can confer numerous advantages, such as high fidelity transmission of information or an increase in the rate of social learning. In many putative cases of teaching, it is not known whether the pupil learns from the modified behaviour. This thesis addresses this issue in three cases of potential teaching behaviour. In particular, it investigates whether the role of food transfers in wild golden lion tamarins is to teach which foods are good to eat (Chapter 5). There was little evidence that novel foods were transferred more than familiar foods, and this was not due to the juveniles attempting to obtain novel foods more than familiar ones, or by adults discarding novel foods more than familiar ones. Transfers were however more successful when donors had previously ingested the food type transferred. Successful food transfers also had a positive correlation with foraging choices once juveniles were older, suggesting they learned from food transfers. In golden lion tamarins, this thesis also examined whether juveniles learned from food-offering calls which substrates were good to forage on (Chapter 6). Juveniles that experienced playback of food-offering calls ate more on a novel substrate, than juveniles that did not experience those playbacks, both immediately as the calls were being played, and in the long term, six months after the playbacks. This suggests that juveniles learned from the playbacks. Finally, this thesis attempted to replicate previous findings showing that hens modify their behaviour when chicks feed from seemingly unpalatable food, and explored whether chicks learned what food to eat based on the maternal display (Chapter 7). The experiment failed to find evidence for teaching behaviour, but results were not inconsistent with previous findings. Moreover, there was little evidence that chicks learned from their mother, quite to the contrary, hens seemed to acquire their foraging decisions based on their chicks' choices.
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Dolins, Francine Leigh. "Spatial relational learning and foraging in cotton-top tamarins." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/3466.
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Spatial relationalleaming can be defined as the use of the spatial (geometric) relationship between two or more cues (landmarks) in order to locate additional points in space (O'Keefe and Nadel, 1979). An internal spatial representation enables an animal to compute novel locations and travel routes from familiar landmarks and routes (Dyer, 1993). A spatial representation is an internal construct mediating between perceived stimuli in the environment and the behaviour of the animal (Tolman, 1948). In this type of spatial representation the information encoded must be isomorphic with the physical environment such that the geometric relations of distance, angle and direction are maintained or can be computed from the stored information (Gallistel, 1990). A series of spatial and foraging task experiments were conducted to investigate the utilisation of spatial relational learning as a spatial strategy available to cotton-top tamarins (Sag uinus oedipus oedipus). The apparatus used was an 8x8 matrix of holes set in an upright wooden board to allow for the manipulation of visual cues and hidden food items such that the spatial configuration of cues and food could be transformed (translated or rotated) with respect to the perimeter of the board. The definitive test of spatial relational learning was whether the monkeys relied upon the spatial relationship between the visual cues to locate the position of the hidden food items. In a control experiment testing for differential use of perceptual information the results showed that if given the choice, tamarins relied on visual over olfactory cues in a foraging task. Callitrichids typically depend on olfactory communication in socio-sexual contexts so it was unusual that olfaction did not also play a significant role in foraging. In the first spatial learning experiment, the tamarins were found to rely on the three visually presented cues to locate the eleven hidden food items. However, their performance was not very accurate. In the next experiment the task was simplified so that the types of spatial strategies the monkeys were using to solve the foraging task could be clearly identified. In this experiment, only two visual cues were presented on either end of a line of four hidden food items. Once the monkeys were trained to these cues, the cues and food were translated and/or rotated on the board. Data from the beginning and middle of each testing session were used in the final analysis: in a previous analysis it was found that the monkeys initially searched the baited holes in the beginning of a testing session and thereafter predominantly searched unbaited holes. This suggests that they followed a win-stay/lose-shift foraging strategy, a finding that is supported by other studies of tamarins in captivity (Menzel and Juno, 1982) and the wild (Garber, 1989). The results also showed that the monkeys were searching predominately between the cues and not outside or around of them, indicating that they were locating the hidden food by using the spatial relationship between the visual cues. This provides evidence for the utilisation of spatial relational learning as a foraging strategy by cotton-top tamarins and the existence of complex internal spatial representations. Further studies are suggested to test captive monkeys' spatial relational capabilities and their foraging strategies. In addition, comparative and field studies are outlined that would provide information regarding New World monkeys' spatial learning abilities, neurophysiological organisation and the evolution of complex computational processes.
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Wright, Emma. "The effect of pathogens on honeybee learning and foraging behaviour." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2013. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/57266/.
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The European honeybee, Apis mellifera, is important economically not just for honey production but also as a pollinator. Bee pollinated plants contribute towards one third of the food eaten worldwide. However, honeybee numbers in some areas are declining. A range of interacting factors are thought to be involved, including pathogens and parasites, loss of forage, pesticide use, bad weather, and limited genetic variability. Pathogens are also known to cause changes in the behaviour of their hosts and these premortality and sublethal effects of disease may well play a role in colony declines and are the focus of this thesis. For individual bees the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae was used as a model pathogen and RT-Q-PCR was used to detect and quantify naturally occurring pathogens. In field colonies the level of infestation of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor was modified as a surrogate for disease load as the amounts of many viruses correlate with mite levels. Survival experiments showed that both disease load and forage availability had an effect on honeybee longevity and feeding the bees pollen increased their survival. Learning experiments showed that both the fungus and some of the bees’ naturally occurring pathogens caused changes in the learning ability of young adult and older forager bees. Young adult bees were better able to learn when infected with the fungus, possibly because it made them more responsive to the sucrose stimulus, whilst older forager bees where less able to learn when infected with the fungus. Harmonic radar was used to show that honeybee flight ability was affected by naturally occurring pathogens, especially deformed wing virus which caused bees to fly shorter distances and for shorter amounts of time than uninfected bees. Observation hives were used to study in-hive behaviour showing that bees with more pathogens were likely to start foraging earlier than healthier bees.
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Chalk, Daniel. "Artificially intelligent foraging." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10036/96455.
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Bumble bees (bombus spp.) are significant pollinators of many plants, and are particularly attracted to mass-flowering crops such as Oilseed Rape (Brassica Napus), which they cross-pollinate. B. napus is both wind and insect-pollinated, and whilst it has been found that wind is its most significant pollen vector, the influence of bumble bee pollination could be non-trivial when bee densities are large. Therefore, the assessment of pollinator-mediated cross-pollination events could be important when considering containment strategies of genetically modified (GM) crops, such as GM varieties of B. napus, but requires a landscape-scale understanding of pollinator movements, which is currently unknown for bumble bees. I developed an in silico model, entitled HARVEST, which simulates the foraging and consequential inter-patch movements of bumble bees. The model is based on principles from Reinforcement Learning and Individual Based Modelling, and uses a Linear Operator Learning Rule to guide agent learning. The model incoproates one or more agents, or bees, that learn by ‘trial-and-error’, with a gradual preference shown for patch choice actions that provide increased rewards. To validate the model, I verified its ability to replicate certain iconic patterns of bee-mediated gene flow, and assessed its accuracy in predicting the flower visits and inter-patch movement frequencies of real bees in a small-scale system. The model successfully replicated the iconic patterns, but failed to accurately predict outputs from the real system. It did, however, qualitatively replicate the high levels of inter-patch traffic found in the real small-scale system, and its quantitative discrepancies could likely be explained by inaccurate parameterisations. I also found that HARVEST bees are extremely efficient foragers, which agrees with evidence of powerful learning capabilities and risk-aversion in real bumble bees. When applying the model to the landscape-scale, HARVEST predicts that overall levels of bee-mediated gene flow are extremely low. Nonetheless, I identified an effective containment strategy in which a ‘shield’ comprised of sacrificed crops is placed between GM and conventional crop populations. This strategy could be useful for scenarios in which the tolerance for GM seed set is exceptionally low.
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Prescott, Mark John. "Social learning in mixed-species troops of Saguinus fuscicollis and Saguinus labiatus : tests of foraging benefit hypotheses in captivity." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/12554.
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The selective costs and benefits affecting the evolution of group living have long interested behavioural ecologists because knowledge of these selective forces can enhance our understanding not only of why organisms live in groups, but also why species exhibit particular patterns of social organisation. Tamarins form stable and permanent mixed-species troops providing an excellent model for examining the costs and benefits hypothesised for group living. However, testing hypotheses in the wild is difficult, not least because participating species are rarely found out of association. In contrast, in captivity it is possible to compare matched single- and mixed-species troops and also to study the same individuals in single and mixed-species troops to see what effect the presence of a congener has on behaviour. In this way, captive work can help us confirm, reject, or refine the hypotheses, and aids in the generation of new ones, for relating back to the wild. The utility of this approach is demonstrated in this thesis which explored some of the foraging benefit hypotheses and, in particular, the underlying notion that individuals in tamarind mixed-species troops can increase their foraging efficiency through social earning. Single and mixed-species troops of Saguinus fuscicollis and S. labiatus were studied at Belfast Zoological Gardens. It was found that social interaction with conspecifics and congeners facilitated learning by individuals of various types of food-related information (food palatability, location, and method of access). However, although social learning operated in mixed-species troops, it did so under the shadow of inter-specific dominance. The results were used, in conjunction with field observations in Bolivia, to make inferences about the adaptive function of social learning in the wild. These findings strengthen the hypotheses which suggest that increased opportunity for social learning, through an increase in troop size and as a result of species divergence in behaviour, is an adaptive advantage of mixed-species troop formation in tamarins.
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Mincey, Henry Dewayne. "Foraging behavior and success of herons and egrets in natural and artifical wetlands." Click here to access thesis, 2006. http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/archive/fall2006/henry_d_mincey/mincey_henry_d_200608_ms.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S.)--Georgia Southern University, 2006."A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science" ETD. Includes bibliographical references (p. 35-38)
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Gust, Deborah Anne. "An investigation of the role of uncertainty in the choice component of foraging in a captive group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/29359.
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Dean, Ben. "The at-sea behaviour of the Manx shearwater." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2012. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:3dc27434-100c-4fcc-a636-04538c676dc2.
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Seabirds are vulnerable to a wide range of impacts at sea and function as important indicators of ocean health. A detailed understanding of their movements and distributions at sea, as well as the types of behaviour in which they engage and the extent to which those activities make them vulnerable to different impacts is critical in effective conservation planning. But their elusive lifestyles and mobility have hampered studies of their at-sea behaviour. Using miniature data loggers deployed on Manx shearwaters Puffinus puffinus this thesis explores the movements, distribution and behaviour of a small-medium pelagic, procellariiform seabird during foraging trips at sea. Foraging distributions were most variable during the pre-laying period when females departed the colony to build their egg. Females foraged close to the colony when local resources were adequate, but more typically foraged in distant shelf edge waters. Males returned frequently to the colony during this period and typically foraged close by, but also in shelf edge waters when local resources were poor. During incubation and chick-rearing the foraging movements of birds tracked from up to four colonies showed considerable inter-annual variability, but were largely constrained to the Irish and Celtic Seas and the inshore waters of west Scotland. Birds from each of the colonies foraged in waters local to their own colony, but also in more distant locations, including the productive Western Irish Sea and Western Irish Sea Front where birds from multiple colonies co-foraged, presumably at high densities. At-sea behaviour was organized into three principal activities representing: (1) sustained direct flight, (2) sitting on the sea surface, and (3) foraging, comprising tortuous flight interspersed with periods of immersion and diving in pursuit of prey. Foraging was highly constrained to daylight hours during which birds engaged in bouts of diving separated by periods of flight or rest on the surface. Most dives were up to 6 m deep, lasting up to 13 s, but some much deeper dives (maximum 55.5 m) were also made. During chick-rearing the use of short and long duration trips may allow parents to control provisioning effort and their own body condition. However, reducing parents’ requirement to provision their chick (by supplemental chick feeding) did not appear to alter the at-sea movements and behaviour of parents, suggesting that at-sea behaviour probably is controlled more by foraging conditions and prey distributions than by the nutritional demands of the chick.
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Pelletier, Laure. "Individual and environmental drivers of the foraging behaviour in a long-lived coastal seabird." Phd thesis, Université de Strasbourg, 2013. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01023688.
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To study the impact of environmental changes in a coastal marine ecosystem, it is necessary to use indicator species. It is crucial to understand the foraging performances that proceed from environmental changes. The aim of my thesis was to examine the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the foraging activity of the little penguins (Eudyptula minor). The thermocline allowed birds to approach optimal behaviour. However, the thermocline is an unstable element. I did not find any effect of individual characteristics on their foraging behaviour and success. My work suggests that environmental conditions are major factors that will influence the behaviour of little penguins, allowing me to conclude that little penguins are good ecological indicators.
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Moldoff, David. "CONTEXT-DEPENDENT INDIVIDUAL VARIATION IN FORAGING BEHAVIOUR AND PARENTAL CARE IN HOUSE SPARROWS." UKnowledge, 2015. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/biology_etds/30.
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Behaviors can exhibit a wide degree of plasticity depending on the environmental context in which they are expressed. Despite this, repeatable differences have been found among and within individuals across a wide range of taxa. For my thesis, I investigated individual differences in foraging and parental care. In the first experiment, I assessed house sparrows (Passer domesticus) for domain-generality among neophobia, habituation and associative learning as they are all responses to novelty. While the results of the study find individual differences in each of these contexts the conclusion supported separate mechanisms for each response (domain-specificity). In the second experiment, I examined how the loudness of brood begging vocalizations influenced parent trip time, food load size brought to the nest and the amount of time spent in the box. The results of this study found individual differences in trip time and the time spent in the box with regard to the initial five seconds of begging loudness during a parent’s visit. Additionally, trip time was also influenced by the change in loudness within a visit. My findings reveal that individual variation may depend on the context in which individuals are measured.
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Koops, Kathelijne. "Elementary technology of foraging and shelter in the chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) of the Nimba Mountains, Guinea." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.609778.
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BROWN, JOEL STEVEN. "COEXISTENCE ON A RESOURCE WHOSE ABUNDANCE VARIES: A TEST WITH DESERT RODENTS (PREDATION RISK, FORAGING BEHAVIOR, COMMUNITY STRUCTURE)." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/188178.
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Variability is a universal, but poorly understood, property of ecosystems. A common belief that environmental variability has a destabilizing effect on species coexistence is being challenged by a growing body of theoretical research; variance in resource abundances may actually promote species coexistence. Here, I develop three models which give ecological conditions for coexistence on a single resource. The first considers a resource whose abundance varies seasonally. Coexistence may be possible if there is a tradeoff between foraging efficiency and maintenance efficiency. The first species can forage profitably on low resource abundances while the second uses dormancy to "travel" inexpensively between temporal periods of high resource abundance. The second considers a resource whose abundance varies spatially. Coexistence may be possible if there is a tradeoff between foraging efficiency and the cost of travel. The first species forages patches to a lower giving up density while the second can inexpensively travel between patches with high resource abundances. The third considers an environment in which foraging costs change seasonally. Coexistence may be possible if there is a tradeoff between the cost of foraging during different seasons. The species which is the most efficient forager changes seasonally. Because coexisting species often exhibit little apparent diet or habitat separation, seed-eating desert rodents offer a promising community for testing the three aforementioned mechanisms of coexistence. In a community of four granivorous rodents, (Perognathus amplus, Dipodomys merriami, Spermophilus tereticaudus, and Ammospermophilus harrisii), I used artificial seed patches to measure species and habitat specific foraging efficiencies. The third mechanism of coexistence appears to explain the presence of P. amplus, D. merriami, and S. tereticaudus in the community. Each enjoys a season during which it is the most efficient forager. The second mechanism of coexistence explains the presence of A. harrisii in the community. This species preferred to forage a large number of widely spaced patches to a high giving up density rather than foraging a few patches to a low giving up density.
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Enstipp, Manfred. "Diving energetics and fine scale foraging behaviour of avian divers and their capacity to buffer environmental change." Université Louis Pasteur (Strasbourg) (1971-2008), 2005. https://publication-theses.unistra.fr/public/theses_doctorat/2005/ENSTIPP_Manfred_2005.pdf.
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Les oiseaux marins sont présents sur toutes les mers du globe et dans des zones climatiques extrêmement différentes, allant des tropiques jusqu’aux régions polaires. Un grand nombre d’espèces vivent en haute mer et capturent leurs proies sous l’eau. L’élément liquide possède un énorme pouvoir de refroidissement et génère de fortes contraintes thermiques sur ces homéothermes. Ces contraintes ont certainement influencé les modes de colonisation des écosystèmes aquatiques par les oiseaux marins. Dans ces milieux hostiles, les oiseaux assurent leur survie par le biais de deux stratégies (non exclusives). (1) Augmentation de l’isolation périphérique afin de minimiser les pertes de chaleur au contact de l’eau; (2) exploitation de zones riches en nourriture afin de maximiser leurs gains d’énergie au cours de la recherche alimentaire. La combinaison de ces deux stratégies permet l’optimisation de l’efficacité énergétique au cours de la recherche alimentaire. Afin de comprendre comment les oiseaux marins se sont adaptés au milieu aquatique au cours de leur trajectoire évolutive et de définir leur rôle au sein des écosystèmes actuels, il est donc de toute première importance d’étudier les mécanismes qui régissent leurs dépenses énergétiques ainsi que leurs gains en énergie au cours de la recherche alimentaire. Au cours des deux dernières décennies, les avancées technologiques ont permis la réalisation d’un grand nombre d’études concernant le comportement alimentaire des oiseaux marins ainsi que leurs besoins énergétiques. Ces deux volets ont pourtant rarement été considérés conjointement et certains aspects fondamentaux restent négligés. Par exemple, l’effet de la pression sur l’isolation thermique et sur la flottabilité des oiseaux plongeurs, ainsi que ses conséquences sur les coûts énergétiques de la plongée n’ont pas encore été mesurés directement. En outre, le comportement prédateur des oiseaux plongeurs a principalement été déduit de mesures effectuées par des capteurs embarqués. Des observations directes et détaillées des techniques de pêche ainsi que des études de l’impact de divers facteurs biotiques et abiotiques sur ces stratégies restent extrêmement rares. Le comportement des oiseaux marins est d’autre part principalement étudié à l’échelle de l’individu. Il est cependant nécessaire et urgent de prédire les réactions des communautés d’oiseaux marins aux changements environnementaux, qu’ils soient d’origine naturelle ou anthropique. Ces stress environnementaux provoquent en effet à l’heure actuelle des changements de régime et de structure variés au sein des écosystèmes marins. Des informations détaillées concernant les processus d’acquisition et de dépense d’énergie chez différentes espèces d’oiseaux marins constituent donc la base de modèles bio-énergétiques qui permettront une approche fonctionnelle prédictive du rôle des oiseaux marins au faîte des réseaux trophiques aquatiques. La collecte de données écophysiologiques ainsi que leur synthèse dans le cadre d’exercices de modélisation, nous permettra donc de juger de la capacité d’adaptation des prédateurs marins aux changements environnementaux (tels qu’une baisse de la disponibilité des proies). Mes travaux de thèse, qui traitent de l’écophysiologie de la recherche alimentaire chez les oiseaux plongeurs ont principalement concerné les cormorans. Des études récentes ont suggéré que les coûts de la recherche alimentaire sont particulièrement élevés chez ces oiseaux, mais que ceux-ci adaptent leur comportement prédateur afin de minimiser la durée totale de la recherche alimentaire (par le biais d’une augmentation de l’efficacité prédatrice). Cette stratégie nécessite l’exploitation de ressources alimentaires particulièrement profitables (forte densité des proies et/ou grande valeur calorifique). On peut donc prédire que les cormorans seront particulièrement sensibles aux contraintes environnementales affectant les conditions de la recherche alimentaire et/ou la disponibilité des proies. Ce sont donc d’excellents modèles d’étude de l’impact de ce type de changements sur les prédateurs marins. Mes travaux de thèse s’articulent en sept chapitres. A l’issue d’une introduction générale (chapitre 1), je présente deux études de la dépense énergétique associée à la recherche alimentaire chez les oiseaux plongeurs (chapitres 2 et 3). Plus spécifiquement, j’ai étudié l’influence de la température de l’eau, de la profondeur des plongées ainsi que du statut nutritif des oiseaux sur les coûts énergétiques de la plongée chez les cormorans huppés (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) et les cormorans à aigrettes (Phalacrocorax auritus). Je détaille par la suite les comportements associés à la recherche alimentaire chez les oiseaux plongeurs (chapitres 4 et 5). Il s’agit d’une analyse détaillée des techniques de capture des poissons chez les cormorans à aigrettes et les grands cormorans (Phalacrocorax carbo) en fonction de divers paramètres biotiques et abiotiques. Enfin, je combine certains de ces résultats avec des données tirées de la littérature afin de développer un modèle bio-énergétique (chapitre 6). Ce modèle, élargi à quatre espèces d’oiseaux marins de la Mer du Nord, m’a permis de calculer leurs besoins alimentaires théoriques pendant la phase d’élevage des poussins. Il m’a également permis de tester la capacité d’adaptation de ces différentes espèces à une baisse de la disponibilité de leurs proies principales. Ces diverses études débouchent sur des conclusions et perspectives qui sont présentées dans le chapitre 7Avian divers are confronted with a number of physiological challenges when foraging in cold water, especially at depth. Diving is believed to be particularly costly in cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae) because of their poor insulation and less efficient foot-propulsion. I used open-circuit respirometry to study the energetic requirements of two Phalacrocorax species, the European shag (P. Aristotelis) and the double-crested cormorant (P. Auritus) when diving in a shallow (1 m) and deep (10 m) dive tank. I also investigated the modifying effects of water temperature and feeding status on dive costs. My results indicate that the energetic costs during shallow diving in European shags and double-crested cormorants are comparable to other foot-propelled divers. Metabolic rate was significantly increased when diving to greater depth and at lower water temperatures, while feeding before diving increased metabolic rate, albeit not significantly. The strong effects of depth and water temperature on cormorant diving metabolic rate are most likely a consequence of their partially wettable plumage and their reduced plumage air volume, which makes them prone to heat loss and, hence, increases thermoregulatory costs. The energetic requirements of animals have to be satisfied by intake of resources from the environment. Hence, the quest for food is a central aspect of animal behavior. Although the study of seabird foraging behaviour has greatly profited from recent technological developments, we still know little about predator-prey interactions on a fine scale. I used an underwater video array to investigate the prey-capture behaviour of double-crested cormorants foraging on live rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). I tested the effects of a variety of factors on the underwater foraging behaviour of cormorants and established a functional link between prey density and cormorant prey capture rate. Prey density and behaviour both significantly affected predator performance. At prey densities below 2-3 g fish m-3 birds increased their search time during a trial drastically, while prey-encounter rate was greatly decreased. When cormorants attacked shoaling rather than solitary trout, their capture success was significantly reduced, while pursuit duration was significantly increased. Seabird energetics and behaviour are typically studied on the individual or species level. However, if we want to understand how seabirds react to environmental changes, we have to consider entire communities. In the western North Sea, a large seabird assemblage critically depends on a single fish species, the lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus), which is also exploited by an industrial fishery. I developed an algorithm to test for the capacity of four seabird species during chick-rearing in Scotland to buffer a potential decline in sandeel abundance by increasing their foraging effort in various ways. My results show that under the conditions currently operating in this region shags and guillemots (Uria aalge) may have sufficient time and energy to allow them to increase their foraging effort considerably, while Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) and gannets (Morus bassanus) appear more constrained by time and energy respectively. My study suggests that during chick-rearing gannets are working at the highest metabolic level of all species considered and hence, have the least physiological capacity to increase foraging effort. This indicates that gannets could potentially be very sensitive to a reduction in sandeel abundance. My thesis emphasises the importance of taking into account seabird energetics as well as fine scale behavioural requirements, when trying to develop management schemes for fisheries that will allow the coexistence of both seabirds and human fishery in a sustainable way
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Savian, Jean Victor. "Rotatinuous stocking : an innovation in grazing management based on animal behaviour and implications to pasture production, foraging behaviour, herbage intake and methane emission by grazing sheep." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/158949.
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The aim of this thesis was to investigate contrasting pasture management strategies on the foraging behaviour, pasture production, carcass characteristics, herbage intake, faecal gas emissions and methane emission by sheep grazing Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) pastures. The experiment was carried out in 2014 and 2015. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replicates and two grazing strategy treatments (traditional rotational stocking method – RT meaning pre- and post-grazing target heights of 25 and 5 cm, respectively and, “rotatinuous stocking” – RN with pre- and post-grazing target heights of 18 and 11 cm, respectively). The grazing management was based on a 1-day strip-grazing regime. Male castrated sheep were used. The actual average sward heights for the RN treatment were 17.9 and 11.1 cm (pre- and post-grazing, respectively) and 27.1 and 7.8 cm for the RT (pre- and post-grazing, respectively). The stocking period in 2014 was 146 and 140 days (RN and RT, respectively) and in 2015 it was 155 and 146 days (RN and RT, respectively). The diurnal animal activities (grazing, ruminating and resting time) did not differ between treatments, with average of 439.6, 166.9 and 85.0 minutes, respectively. The bite rate, feeding station per min and steps per min were greater at the RN than the RT treatment. Grazing time and bite rate were greater in the afternoon than morning in both treatments. Therefore, the daily herbage intake by sheep grazing Italian ryegrass was greater for the RN than the RT treatment (CHAPTER II). The herbage production in the RN was 28% higher than the RT treatment. Individual average daily gain and live weight gain per hectare were greater in the RN than the RT treatment (CHAPTER III). RN treatment presented greater final live weight, carcass and commercial cut weights from grazing sheep than RT treatment (CHAPTER IV). RN treatment had a faecal chemical quality greater than RT treatment, resulting in a greater daily nitrogen excretion per animal and greater faecal CH4 and N2O emissions (CHAPTER VI). The “rotatinuous stocking” (RN) was the better grazing management strategy for mitigation of CH4 emissions by sheep grazing Italian ryegrass, emitting 64% less CH4 per unit area and 170% less CH4 per unit of animal product than the traditional rotational stocking method (RT) (CHAPTER V).
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Mårell, Anders. "Summer feeding behaviour of reindeer : a hierarchical approach /." Umeå : Department of Animal Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2006. http://epsilon.slu.se/200656.pdf.
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Connolly, Lauren E. "Effect of predator diet on foraging behavior of panopeus herbstII in response to predator urine cues." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/53392.
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The ability of prey to detect and respond appropriately to predator risk is important to overall prey fitness. Many aquatic organisms assess risk through the use of chemical cues that can change with predator diet. Two variable characteristics of diet are: 1. prey type and 2. prey mass. To assess the effect of these two characteristics on the assessment of risk by the mud crab Panopeus herbstii, I exposed mud crabs to the urine of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus fed one of 5 diet treatments: 10g of oyster shell free wet mass, 5g of oyster shell free wet mass, 10g crushed mud crabs, 5g crushed mud crabs, and a mix of 5g of oyster shell free wet mass and 5g crushed mud crab. Effects on P. herbstii foraging were tested in a previously developed bioassay by measuring shrimp consumption over a 4 hour period. I hypothesized that P. herbstii would have a larger magnitude response to urine from C. sapidus fed a diet of crushed mud crabs than to urine from C. sapidus fed a diet of oysters. I further hypothesized that P. herbstii would have a larger magnitude response to urine from C. sapidus fed a high mass diet relative to a lower mass diet. Contrary to expectations there was no observed effect of urine on P. herbstii foraging in any of the treatments. Results suggest that bioassay protocol may be unreliable suggesting further replication to determine the difference between this study and previous results. Future studies examining how P. herbstii varies with urine concentration will aid in understanding the ecological scale of this predator cue system. Determining the role of other potential cue sources will improve the predictive abilities of these studies.
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Chaney, Morgan Edward. "Learning to Live, or Living to Learn?Age-related differences in foraging behavior and the extended juvenile period of Cebus capucinus." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1428846210.
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Tully, Daniel K. "Analysis of foraging behaviour of adult male harbour seals using animal-borne video data, effects of prey type on tactics and profitability." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape7/PQDD_0021/MQ49456.pdf.
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Pascual, Sala Jordi. "About eating and not eaten. Vigilance and foraging strategies in wintering Eurasian siskins (Carduelis spinus) = Sobre menjar i no ser menjar: estratègies de vigilància i alimentació en lluers hivernants (Carduelis spinus)." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/128917.
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Animals have to eat a certain amount of food every day to survive. Since trophic resources are usually found in exposed locations, animals are in risk of predation while feeding, and face the well known trade-off between predation and starvation risks.
Animals may reduce predation risk by scanning for predators. However, an increase in vigilance entails an increase in exposure time to predators. Therefore, animals may increase food intake to reduce foraging bouts at the cost of vigilance or may do the opposite. Animals may also reduce predation risk without increasing vigilance by joining groups. However, when food items are concentrated in some defendable patches, individuals will fight to access them, leading to interference competition.
Birds have developed different vigilance and foraging strategies to cope with all these trade-offs. These strategies can be adapted to the environmental conditions and type of predators, and will highly differ according to the genetic, phenotypic and ecological characters of the individuals.
In this thesis I investigated how wintering Eurasian siskins (Carduelis spinus) adjusted their vigilance and foraging behaviour to predation risk and competition, and how this adjustment varied according to conspicuousness, residence status and personality of focal birds. I also studied how resident and transient siskins regulated their body mass to predation risk.
In order to determine the differential effects of predation risk and competition on the behaviour of siskins, I designed an experiment with three feeders differing in predation risk and interference competition. I captured the siskins every week and marked them with aluminium rings (at first capture) and colour rings (if residents). From each bird, I measured body mass, wing length and plumage coloration cues. I filmed the siskins foraging at feeders from a hide. Then I analyzed the video recordings and selected a sample of birds at each feeder to study the effect of environmental factors, and selected pairs of birds belonging to different cohorts of sex, residence and personality to compare their vigilance and foraging behaviour. I also compared body mass of a large sample of residents and transients in two periods with and without avian predators.
I found that siskins adjusted their vigilance behaviour specifically to the environmental conditions. Vigilance to predators, achieved by reducing inter-scan durations, was less costly in terms of food intake rate than vigilance to flockmates, achieved by increasing scan durations.
Siskin males were more brightly coloured and detectable than females, and showed a vigilance system more oriented to predator detection, supporting (together with the correlation between coloration and vigilance in males) the view of a predation cost to conspicuousness.
Resident and transient siskins showed a different vigilance and foraging strategy. Residents were more confident in vigilance to reduce predation risk while transients preferred to reduce foraging bout lengths. Transient siskins were in higher predation risk because of their vigilance and foraging behaviour, and this was related both to their unfamiliarity with the area and their subordination to residents.
Proactive male siskins showed a vigilance system that improved their ability to detect predators as compared with reactive males, supporting the view of a behavioural compensation for their personality trait (and not the existence of behavioural carryovers).
Resident siskin males adjusted their body mass to the presence of predators at the foraging area, something that transients could not do because of their site unfamiliarity. In general, dominant individuals (whether males, residents or proactive birds) showed a foraging behaviour that prioritized the reduction in predation risk and not the increase in food intake rate, as compared to subordinates. Dominance alone cannot account for our results, although it probably had some effect in all the comparisons.En aquesta tesi vaig estudiar el comportament de vigilància i d'alimentació de lluers hivernants a tres menjadores que diferien en risc de depredació i competència. Vaig determinar com els ocells ajustaven la vigilància a aquestes variables, i vaig comparar el comportament dels ocells pertanyents a diferents classes de sexe, estatus de residència i personalitat, per veure si adoptaven diferents estratègies. Els lluers van ajustar de manera diferent el seu comportament al risc de depredació i la competència. La vigilància dirigida als depredadors, assolida tot reduint la durada dels intervals entre vigilàncies, va resultar ser menys costosa en termes d'ingesta d'aliment que la vigilància a companys d'estol, assolida mitjançant l'increment de la durada de les vigilàncies. Els mascles de lluer van ser més brillants i fàcils de detectar que les femelles, i van mostrar un comportament més orientat a la detecció de depredadors, cosa que dóna suport (junt amb la correlació entre coloració i vigilància en mascles) a l'existència d'un cost de depredació associat a la conspicuïtat del plomatge. Els lluers residents van adoptar un sistema de vigilància que els exposava a menor risc de depredació que els transeünts. A més, a diferència d'aquests, van confiar sobretot en la vigilància a l'hora de reduir el risc de depredació. Aquestes diferències estarien relacionades tant amb el grau de coneixement de la zona com amb la dominància. Els mascles proactius van mostrar un sistema de vigilància que millorava la seva capacitat per detectar aviat els depredadors en comparació amb els mascles reactius, cosa que dóna suport a la idea d'una compensació comportamental del tret de personalitat. Els mascles residents van ajustar la seva massa corporal a la presència d'un depredador aeri a la zona, cosa que no van fer els transeünts segurament pel seu desconeixement del risc de depredació. En general, els individus dominants (mascles, residents o individus proactius) van mostrar un comportament d'alimentació que prioritzava la reducció del risc de depredació i no l'increment en la ingesta d'aliment. La dominància per sí sola no pot explicar els resultats de les comparacions, malgrat que pot tenir un cert efecte en totes elles.
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Xu, Vicki. "Floral Categorization in Bumblebees." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/40388.
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In nature, pollinators must navigate fields of resources presenting a variety of features, differing in shape, size, colour, etc. Foraging on a flower by flower basis is slow and maladaptive. Instead foragers must be able to differentiate between rewarding and unrewarding floral species while also generalizing learned information between flowers of the same species. The ability to categorize stimuli occurs on several levels of abstraction, laid out by Herrnstein (1990). In order to categorize objects, animals must first be able differentiate between them without memorizing each stimulus separately. Consequently, objects can be grouped by physical characteristics through perceptual categorization, or, on a more abstract scale, by the function they serve to the animal. This thesis explores the bees’ ability to categorize flowers, following the levels of categorization to answer two questions: Can bees form categories? And how abstract can their categorization become? There has been limited investigation previously in categorization in bees, and no research done on invertebrates addresses categorization beyond physical features. The bees’ ability to form categories was evaluated with four experiments of preference: 1) similar-but-different judgements; 2) perceptual categorization; 3) simple and mediated generalization; and 4) functional relevance. Results show firstly that bees can generalize characteristics within flower species, but also differentiate individual flowers. Secondly, bees can form perceptual categories, and while they rely on physical floral features for categorization, bees also demonstrated preliminary abilities for functional generalization as well. These results provide an explanation to natural foraging techniques adopted by the bees. The adaptive nature of categorization allows foragers to find resources more efficiently and better prepare in changing environments.
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Rabelo, Laíce Souza. "Estrutura das interações abelhas-plantas: uso de plantas-iscas e análises polínicas para a determinação do nicho alimentar e descrição das redes ecológicas em sistemas naturais e cultivados." Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, 2016. https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/13285.
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Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoThe food niche and the interactions between different groups of bees and plants can be studied, in dissimilar systems, using the association of tools, such as plant-bait, pollen analysis and interaction network approach. In this context, the general aim of this work was to study the interactions between bees and plants in two ecological systems: one natural, using species of Malpighiaceae as plant-baits, and other crop area, using the consortium between eggplant (Solanum melongena) and pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) as bait plants. In the natural system, observations of the foraging behaviour and the analysis of pollen loads of oil-collecting bees sampled in Byrsonima spp. showed that: 1) the behaviour of foraging for pollen and oil was significantly associated with the taxonomic groups; 2) the main pollen source for these bees was Byrsonima spp. and 3) the robustness of interaction networks was influenced by the removal of bees according to the abundance, body size and taxonomic groups. Additionally, in this system we also studied the food niche of Exomalopsis fulvofasciata. This species foraged in five floral sources (being Byrsonima the most important) and used predominantly small pollen grains and flowers with non poricidal anthers. In the agrosystem, we observed a low similarity in the communities of flower visitors between the two crops that have been exploited for the collection of complementary resources (pollen and nectar). Furthermore, we observed that the complete system, formed by all bee species, both crops and surrounding plants, showed a greater robustness to the removal of species than all the simplest scenarios, except for the exclusion of bees according to their abundance. Thus, the results obtained in this study contributed to a greater understanding of bees-plants interactions in natural areas in Cerrado and crop areas. Information about the foraging behaviour and food niche, associated with simulations of possible extinction scenarios can be used to support actions of conservation and management of pollinators.
O nicho alimentar e as interações entre diferentes grupos de abelhas e plantas podem ser estudados, em sistemas distintos, usando a associação de ferramentas, como planta-isca, análise polínica e abordagem de redes de interações. Nesse contexto, o objetivo geral deste trabalho foi estudar as interações entre abelhas e plantas em dois sistemas ecológicos: um natural, utilizando espécies de Malpighiaceae como plantas-iscas, e outro cultivado, utilizando-se consórcio de cultivos de abóbora-menina (Cucurbita moschata) e berinjela (Solanum melongena) como plantas-iscas. No sistema natural, a observação do comportamento de forrageamento e a análise das cargas polínicas das abelhas coletoras de óleo amostradas em Byrsonima spp. mostraram que: 1) os comportamentos de forrageamentos para pólen e óleo foram significativamente associados aos grupos taxonômicos; 2) a principal fonte de pólen para esses insetos foi Byrsonima spp. e 3) a robustez das redes de interações foi influenciada pela remoção das abelhas de acordo com a abundância, tamanho corporal e grupos taxonômicos. Além disso, nesse sistema também foi estudado o nicho alimentar de Exomalopsis fulvofasciata (Apidae). Essa espécie forrageou em cinco fontes florais (sendo Byrsonima a principal delas) e usou predominantemente grãos de pólen pequenos e flores com anteras não poricidas. Já no agrossistema, foi verificada uma baixa similaridade entre as comunidades de visitantes florais dos cultivos que foram explorados para a coleta de recursos complementares (pólen e néctar). Além disso, observou-se que o sistema completo, formado por todas as espécies de abelhas, ambos os cultivos e as plantas do entorno, apresentou maior robustez quanto à remoção de espécies do que todos os cenários mais simples, exceto quanto a eliminação das abelhas de acordo com a abundância. Assim, os resultados obtidos contribuiram com o Bmaior entendimento das interações abelhas-plantas em reservas naturais de Cerrado e áreas cultivadas. As informações sobre os comportamentos de forrageamento e o nicho alimentar, associada às simulações de possíveis cenários de extinções, podem ser usadas como subsídio para ações de conservação e manejo dos polinizadores.
Doutor em Ecologia e Conservação de Recursos Naturais
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Skarin, Anna. "Reindeer use of alpine summer habitats /." Uppsala : Reindeer Husbandry Unit, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2006. http://epsilon.slu.se/200673.pdf.
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Sullivan, Amy Erin. "LOGGING DEBRIS PROTECTS SUGAR MAPLE (Acer saccharum) SEEDLINGS FROM WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus) HERBIVORY IN WOLF-OCCUPIED FOREST." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1432714208.
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Moll, Karin. "Biomechanics of the foraging behavior in leaf-cutting ants." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.610342.
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Crocker, D. R. "Foraging behaviour in bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)." Thesis, Imperial College London, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/47011.
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Hart, Julie A. "Foraging in patches : the effect of encountering a predator in a formerly risk-free environment /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1997. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9841146.
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Lane, Judith Virginia. "Three-dimensional foraging behaviour of Northern gannets." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2018. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/22716/.
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Movements of animals form a vital link between individual behaviour and spatial processes affecting populations, communities and ecosystems. Predators often have to search for prey that is unpredictable or patchily distributed and increasingly have to do so in habitats that are changing as a result of climate change or anthropogenic activity. Our understanding of animal movement has been revolutionised by the development of miniaturised loggers which allow tracking of individual animals over a range of spatial and temporal scales. However, while flight heights of birds are a critical component of avian movement ecology, they have been little-studied in comparison to horizontal movements. In this thesis I examine the three-dimensional foraging behaviour of northern gannets (Morus bassanus) at the world's largest breeding colony, at Bass Rock, Scotland. I first combine GPS and pressure data to estimate flight heights, and develop a novel refinement that uses sea surface pressure data to correct estimated heights during long periods of sustained flight. I then investigate sexual differences and effects of weather on three-dimensional foraging behaviour, before examining potential population-level consequences of mortality from collisions with offshore wind turbines. I found that sexual differences in foraging behaviour extend to the heights at which birds fly, and that wind speed in particular has a marked effect on movements and behaviour at sea. I also found that predicted levels of mortality from offshore wind farms would be likely to retard population growth but unlikely to drive the population into long-term decline. My thesis describes some of the complexity and flexibility of gannet foraging behaviour and highlights the importance of understanding movements in three dimensions.
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Burch, Alexandra. "The foraging behaviour of shallow water crabs." Thesis, Bangor University, 1998. https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-foraging-behaviour-of-shallow-water-crabs(0e293f58-80a5-466f-8d3a-90ac3c384b4c).html.
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This is a study of the foraging behaviour of Carcinus maenas on Mytilus edulis and of Thalamita danae on Perna viridis. Particular attention is given to differences arising in foraging behaviour as a result of intraspecific prey heterogeneity and experimental protocol. Intersite and temporal differences in the population density, shell morphology, biomass and byssal attachment strength of Mytilus edulis were found. Byssal attachment strength and shell strength were highly variable amongst individuals of a similar size. Carcinus maenas is strongly heterochelous. Intraspecific differences in the chelal mechanics, but not in the chelal geometry, were recorded; major chelae of large male crabs were significantly stronger than the major chelae of females and small males. Stomach content analyses showed that Carcinus maenas has a broad diet in which Mytilus edulis forms an important component. Intersite differences inMytilus edulis shell morphology altered the foraging behaviour of Carcinus maenas, and intersite and temporal variations in mussel flesh weight altered the prey value curves. Both C. maenas and Thalamita danae were highly prey size-selective when foraging on groups of different sized mussels, the size of prey most vulnerable to predation altering with the size composition of the group. The handling times of mussels for both species of crab were reduced when mussels were presented as part of a group as compared to when mussels were presented singly. For Carcinus maenas the reduced handling times resulted from the less extensive gleaning of mussel shells whilst for Thalamita danae reduced handling times appeared to result from the greater use of a more time efficient opening technique. When Carcinus maenas were presented with mussels of differing attachment strengths, crabs selected more weakly attached mussels over those with a more firm and rigid attachment. This selection did not appear to be based on prey value or prey length but rather on the resulting slight movement of weakly attached mussels whenever these were touched by a foraging crab.
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Marshall, Harry. "Social foraging behaviour in a varying environment." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/11178.
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Social foraging behaviour has an important influence on individuals’ survival and reproduction through its role in the acquisition of food resources. It also determines the amount of foraging time required in differing environments, and so the amount of time available for other activities, such as socialising and resting, which have been implicated in an individual’s fitness, as well as the stability of the wider social group. In this thesis I explore the links between these two processes by investigating the drivers of social foraging behaviour, and how the foraging time budgets that this behaviour produces vary between environments. I do this using data collected from a wild population of chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in Namibia, under both natural and field-experimental conditions, and through the development of an individual-based model (IBM). I show that baboon foraging decisions are influenced by social and non-social factors, but that the relative influence of these factors is dependent on the characteristics of the forager and the habitat it is in. These differences in decision-making appear to allow all individuals in a group to experience similar foraging success under natural conditions, but this pattern breaks down in extreme conditions. Using these findings to build an IBM of social foraging, I show that the time individuals need to spend foraging can increase rapidly in a deteriorating environment to the point where they are no longer able to gather enough resources. Overall, the findings of this thesis contribute to the growing appreciation that social foragers can exhibit a high degree of behavioural flexibility. These findings also emphasise the long-standing recognition that individual-level behaviours have an important influence on higher-level ecological patterns and processes and that an appreciation of this is important, not only for our understanding of these patterns and processes, but also for informing conservation and management.
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Smiley-Walters, Sarah Ann. "Interactions between Pigmy Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius) and a Suite of Prey Species: A Study of Prey Behavior and Variable Venom Toxicity." The Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1483455551984898.
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Fraser, Christopher P. "Information transfer between foraging animals : the consequences of attentional limitations." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.426520.
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Pavlic, Theodore P. "Optimal Foraging Theory Revisited." Connect to resource, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1181936683.
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Wintergerst, Sabine. "Modulators of foraging behavior by nectar-feeding bats (Glossophaginae)." Doctoral thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.18452/18673.
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Zahlreiche Forschungsarbeiten haben gezeigt, dass nicht nur Menschen, sondern auch Tiere konstante individuelle Unterschiede im Verhalten aufweisen. Zu verstehen warum sich diese Verhaltensunterschiede im Laufe der Evolution entwickelt haben, ist ein Ziel dieses Forschungsbereiches. In dieser Arbeit wurde untersucht wie verschiedene Modulatoren das Nahrungssuchverhalten von Blütenfledermäusen (Glossophaginae) beeinflussen um individuelle Verhaltensunterschiede zu quantifizieren und theoretische Vorhersagen zu testen. Alle Experimente wurden in naturnaher Umgebung mit programmierbaren, künstlichen Blüten durchgeführt. Es wird angenommen, dass die Plastizität von Verhalten ein generelles Merkmal ist in dem sich Tiere unterscheiden, da manche Individuen allgemein stärker auf Reize aus der Umwelt reagieren könnten als andere. Um diese Vorhersage zu testen, wurde die Nahrungsverfügbarkeit experimentell manipuliert und zwei Arten von Verhaltensplastizität in denselben Individuen gemessen. Die Ergebnisse unterstützen diese Annahme jedoch nicht, da die beiden Arten von Verhaltensplastizität nicht korrelieren. Neben Umwelteinflüssen können auch innere Merkmale wie die Stoffwechselrate das individuelle Nahrungssuchverhalten beeinflussen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sich die Individuen in ihrem täglichen Energieverbrauch unterscheiden und dass diese Unterschiede mit dem Explorationsverhalten während der Nahrungssuche korrelieren. Zusätzlich kann das individuelle Nahrungssuchverhalten auch von sozialen Faktoren beeinflusst werden. Bei limitierter Nahrungsverfügbarkeit verteidigen einzelne Männchen Blüten gegen andere Männchen, jedoch nicht gegenüber Weibchen. Individuelle Unterschiede in der Aggression und Aktivität werden dagegen nicht von der sozialen Gruppenzusammensetzung beeinflusst. In dieser Arbeit wurden nicht nur individuelle Unterschiede im Nahrungssuchverhalten von Blütenfledermäusen bestimmt, sondern auch Vorhersagen aus dem Bereich der Persönlichkeitsforschung bei Tieren überprüft.Animal personality research has shown that animals express individual differences in their behavior that are consistent over time and/or across situations. Furthermore, animal personality research aims to understand how these individual differences in behavior evolve and how they are maintained within populations. This thesis focuses on how different modulators influence the foraging behavior of nectar-feeding bats (Glossophaginae) in order to investigate consistent individual differences in their behavior and to test predictions proposed in the field of animal personality. All experiments were conducted in a semi-natural environment by using a setup of computer-controlled artificial flowers. One prediction of animal personality research is that behavioral plasticity is a single trait in which individuals differ because some individuals might be generally more responsive to changes in the environment than others. In order to test this prediction, resource availability was manipulated and two types of behavioral plasticity were quantified within the same individual. However, the two types of plasticity did not correlate and therefore this hypothesis was not supported. Individual foraging behavior can not only be modulated by changes in the environment but also by individual differences in internal traits like metabolic rates. Experiments confirmed that individual differences in daily energy expenditure correlated with consistent individual differences in exploration. Additionally, foraging behavior can also be modulated by social factors. When resources are limited some males started to defend flowers against other males but not against females. Furthermore, it could be shown that individual differences in aggression and activity are internally driven and not influenced by changes in the social group composition. This thesis not only assessed individual differences in the foraging behavior of nectar-feeding bats but also investigated predictions proposed in the field of animal personality research.
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Goldshmidt, Jay N. "Risk taking and resource scarcity : an integrative approach to foraging problems /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC IP addresses, 1997. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p9804538.
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Wilmshurst, John F. "Foraging behaviour and spatial dynamics of Serengeti herbivores." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp02/NQ35816.pdf.
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Clowater, James S. "Distribution and foraging behaviour of wintering western grebes." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/mq37504.pdf.
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Gill, Bruce Douglas Carleton University Dissertation Biology. "Foraging behaviour of tropical forest Scarabaeinae in Panama." Ottawa, 1986.
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Kolling, Nils Stephen. "Decision making, the frontal lobes and foraging behaviour." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2015. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:ea509f5e-dca4-44e5-9f3f-f7d6550e5b45.
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The aim of this thesis was to understand the function of the frontal lobes during different types of decisions thusfar mostly neglected in cognitive neuroscience. Namely, I sought to understand how decisions are made when comparisons are not about a simple set of concrete options presented, but rather require a comparison with one specific encounter and a sense of the value of the current environment (Chapter 2-3). Additionally, I wanted to understand how decisions between concrete options can be contextualized by the current environment to allow considerations about changing environmental constraints to factor into the decision making process (Chapter 4-5). At last, I wanted to test how the potential for future behaviours within an environment has an effect on peoples decisions (Chapter 6). In other words, how do people construct prospective value when it requires a sense of own future behaviours? All this work was informed by concepts and models originating from optimal foraging theory, which seeks to understand animal behaviours using computational models for different ecological types of choices. Thus, this thesis offers a perspective on the neural mechanisms underlying human decision making capacities that relates them to common problems faced by animals and presumably humans in ecological environments (Chapter 1 and 7). As optimal foraging theory assumes that solving these problems efficiently is highly relevant for survival, it is possible that neural structures evolved in ways to particularly accommodate for the solution of those problems. Therefore, different prefrontal structures might be dedicated to unique ways of solving ecological kinds of decision problems. My thesis as a whole gives some evidence for such a perspective, as dACC and vmPFC were repeatedly identified as constituting unique systems for evaluation according to different reference frames. Their competition within a wider network of areas appeared to ultimately drive decisions under changing contexts. In the future, a better understanding of those changing interactions between these prefrontal areas which generate more complex and adaptive behaviours, will be crucial for understanding more natural choice behaviours. For this temporally resolved neural measurements as well as causal interference will be essential.
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Cuthill, I. C. "Experimental studies in optimal foraging theory." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.371519.
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Godfrey, J. D. "Body-state dependent behaviour in birds." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.297839.
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Gilbert-Norton, Lynne Barbara. "The Effects of Social Status and Learning on Captive Coyote (Canis latrans) Behavior." DigitalCommons@USU, 2009. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/514.
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Many canids live within hierarchical social systems that could promote differences in learning or in behavior between ranked individuals. Differences in foraging and territorial behavior have been observed between ranked coyotes (Canis latrans), yet effects of learning and social status on coyote behavior are not thoroughly understood. I explored a) coyote response to an artificial scent boundary and whether response differed by status, b) how foraging coyotes tracked temporal resource change, and c) how coyotes find spatially distributed food, and the effect of dominance on foraging behavior. I used male/female pairs of captive coyotes at the National Wildlife Research Center Predator Research Facility in Utah. Prior to testing, I identified social rank within pairs by testing for food dominance. In study 1, I laid a scent boundary and monitored space use with GPS and observed behavioral responses directly. All coyotes investigated and crossed the boundary, but were repelled more by human presence. Subordinates investigated and marked the boundary more than dominants. Further investigation is needed to mimic natural boundaries for management purposes. In study 2, I gave eight individual coyotes an operant test with concurrent variable interval (VI) schedules. I varied the ratio of resources and measured the time spent on two choices, then fitted the generalized matching equation to the data. I found that all coyotes efficiently tracked changes in resource ratios and matched their relative rate of foraging time to relative rate of resources. Matching theory provides an effective methodology to explore foraging strategies and behavioral flexibility in coyotes. In study 3, I tested 16 coyotes in a spatial foraging task. Coyotes searched for food in eight potential locations, and were tested individually and in respective pairs. I recorded the area and number of locations searched, approach time, and frequency of marking by dominant and subordinate coyotes. Results showed individual subordinates increased efficiency by relocating, but their efficiency decreased when foraging in pairs. Dominant coyotes did not increase efficiency in company by following subordinates. Coyotes marked the correct feeder more than incorrect feeders. Results suggest coyotes use memory and odor (scent marks) to find food, but that social status overrules information use.
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Stellwag, Leonard M. "Navigation by male crab spiders Misumenoides formosipes (Araneae: Thomisidae) : use of floral cues to locate foraging females." Virtual Press, 2007. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1366501.
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The North American crab spider Misumenoides formosipes is a sit-and-wait predator of insect pollinators. Females are relatively sedentary and adult males must search for females within a heterogeneous habitat. Females are receptive to mating immediately after their adult molt and a first sperm priority pattern places a premium on male ability to locate females quickly. It is unknown what cues males use to navigate during searches for females. We report here on the male-biased operational sex ratio, the distances traveled and the possible cues utilized by moving males. Males in field trials moved towards inflorescences when both visual and chemical cues were available, but were less likely to do so when chemical cues were eliminated. Males in lab trials chose an inflorescence over leaf substrates even in the absence of visual cues. These findings support the hypothesis that these spiders utilize floral chemistry as an environmental cue to optimize mate searches.Department of Biology
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Agnes, Maria M. "Orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus abelii, spatial memory and foraging behaviour." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq22841.pdf.
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Toussidou, Asimoula. "Foraging behaviour of Aphidus colemani at different spatial scales." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.397945.
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Baker, David J. "The foraging behaviour of granivorous birds : a mechanistic perspective." Thesis, Bournemouth University, 2010. http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/17301/.
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1. The functional response, i.e. the feeding rate as a function of prey density, links resource availability to population level demographic rates. The functional response is often central to behavioural-based population models that predict the effect of environmental changes on populations based on the assumption that each individual tries to maximise its fitness at all times. 2. The functional response is a well studied phenomenon for some groups of foragers and many mechanistic models of the functional response have been derived to account for variations in foraging behaviour. However, only a few functional response models have been applied to granivorous farmland birds and these models often have simplifying assumptions that are likely to be inappropriate for these foragers. Consequently, the functional response models that often lie at the core of behavioural-based population models are untested and quite possibly provide a poor prediction of the functional response. 3. The objectives of this thesis are to: (i) test the ability of functional response models to predict the functional response of granivorous birds; (ii) identify incorrect assumptions in these models; and (iii) derive new functional response models that better describe the observed behaviour of these foragers. 4. Here I have found that many of the underlying assumptions of simple functional response models are inappropriate for granivorous birds and several new mechanistic models have been derived that attempt to describe the behaviour more accurately. Vigilance was shown to frequently interact with incompatible behavioural processes (i.e. searching) and affect the feeding rate at low prey densities. Handling time was divided into two components (i.e. attack and process) and a simple mechanistic model was derived to predict the attack component of prey handling. The searching mode of granivorous birds was shown to be akin to a pause-travel forager at low prey densities and, lastly, habitat structure was shown to reduce the feeding rate by restricting the searching area. 5. These finding will help in the development of more biologically 'realistic' functional response models and provide a more accurate prediction of the functional response when used to predict the effect of environmental change on the intake rate of foragers. z
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Nichol, Alison Claire. "Water load : a physiological limitation to bumblebee foraging behaviour?" Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.620933.
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Brooks, Christopher John. "The foraging behaviour of Burchell's zebra (Equus burchelli antiquorum)." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1983/9dac90e0-80f4-4ebf-91d3-a43befc3255b.
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