Social foraging theory / Luc-Alain Giraldeau and Thomas Caraco.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Giraldeau, Luc-Alain, 1955-

Contributor:

Caraco, Thomas, 1946-

John Lammey Stewart Memorial Library Fund.

Series:

Monographs in behavior and ecology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Animals--Food--Mathematical models.

Animals.

Social behavior in animals--Mathematical models.

Social behavior in animals.

Behaviour, Animal.

Animals--Food.

Mathematical models.

Medical Subjects:

Animals.

Behaviour, Animal.

Physical Description:

xiii, 362 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, [2000]

Summary:

Although there is extensive literature in the field of behavioral ecology that attempts to explain foraging of individuals, social foraging -- the ways in which animals search and compete for food in groups -- has been relatively neglected. This book redresses that situation by providing both a synthesis of the existing literature and a new theory of social foraging. Giraldeau and Caraco develop models informed by game theory that offer a new framework for analysis. Social Foraging Theory contains the most comprehensive theoretical approach to its subject, coupled with quantitative methods that will underpin future work in the field. The new models and approaches that are outlined here will encourage new research directions and applications.

To date the analysis of social foraging has lacked unifying themes, clear recognition of the problems inherent in the study of social foraging, and consistent interaction between theory and experiments. This book identifies social foraging as an economic interaction between the actions of individuals and those of other foragers. This interdependence raises complex questions about the size of foraging groups, the diversity of resources used, and the propensity of group members to exploit each other or forage cooperatively. The models developed in the book will allow researchers to test their own approaches and predictions. Many years in development, Social Foraging Theory will interest researchers and graduate students in such areas as behavioral ecology, population ecology, evolutionary biology, and wildlife management.

Contents:

1. Social Foraging Theory: Definitions, Concepts, and Methods

2. Two-Person Games: Competitive Solutions

3. Two-Person Games: Conditional Cooperation

4. Group Size in Aggregation Economies

5. Predicting Group Size in Dispersion Economies

6. An Introduction to Producer-Scrounger Games

7. Producer-Scrounger Games in Stochastic Environments

8. Social Patch and Prey Models

9. Quantifying Phenotypic Diversity

10. Learning in Foraging Groups

11. Efficiency of Diversity: The Skill Pool

12. Synthesis and Conclusions.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 335-358) and indexes.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the John Lammey Stewart Memorial Library Fund.

ISBN:

0691048762

9780691048765

0691048770

9780691048772

OCLC:

43245832

Publisher Number:

99977130929

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description