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This is a book about proximate mechanisms. Although some theoreti cal structure is used to introduce the subject, the intent is to offer a comprehensive view of the mechanistic side of searching (or foraging) so as to balance the current emphasis of books on mathematical and functional models. It seems to me that the pendulum needs to swing back to studies of how animals behave, and that maybe in so doing models will become valuable again in driving experimentation. I have probably included too many examples in this book, and some are even presented in great detail. Hopefully, they provide a complete picture of the kind of animals used, the experimental setup, the kinds of data yielded, and how the data were analysed. I have done this in response to frustrating experiences of reading chapters in behavioural ecobgy books that provide insufficient information with which to evaluate an author's conclusion.
List of contents
One Introduction.- 1 Theoretical framework.- Two Information for the Localization and Assessment of Resources.- 2 Orientation cues: information for searching.- 3 Scanning mechanisms.- 4 Initiating factors: when to search.- 5 Assessment mechanisms: resource, patch and habitat selection.- Three Search Mechanisms.- 6 Locating patches and distant resources.- 7 Restricting search to a patch.- 8 Foraging in the most profitable patches and leaving when profitability declines.- 9 When to return to a resource patch.- 10 Learning to forage efficiently.- 11 Exploratory behaviour.- 12 Central place foraging.- Four Sources of Variability.- 13 External environment.- 14 Internal environment.- 15 Genetic factors.- 16 Ontogenetic and maternal influences.- Five Methodology.- 17 Analysing search tracks.- 18 Computer simulations of search behaviour locomotory patterns.- References.
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it can be recommended to anyone interested in learning about the background to this field of research - The Biologist
