The shape of things eaten: the functional response of herbivores foraging adaptively

摘要: A major question at the interface of community and behavioural ecology is whether optimal foraging influences patterns population dynamics. One productive route towards addressing this has been to treat solution an model as “adaptive” functional response, capable varying with resource density. Here I integrate density into by allowing consumption rates, part time constraint in model, vary a linear or saturating manner Using field estimates parameterize for 11 herbivore mammals four Orthoptera, modeling effort produces novel set responses that display unique combinations traditional response shapes. These new adaptive shapes arise because assumptions about physiology, quality environmental conditions are embedded model. The results study indicate there 1) body size specific changes intake varies; 2) sensitivity shape magnitude cropping rate variation; 3) herbivores may regulate their resources via response.