Question 1

Optimization techniques are used to:

Accepted Answer

Optimization techniques are used to find the most efficient or effective solution to a problem within a set of constraints, making option C the correct choice.

Question 2

Individuals that adopt "producer" foraging strategies:

Accepted Answer

Individuals that adopt "producer" foraging strategies focus on locating and gaining access to food items in a patch, rather than relying on others or creating food themselves.

Question 3

Public information can be beneficial in group-living animals because it allows:

Accepted Answer

Public information allows individuals to use the behavior of others as cues to environmental changes (A) and to estimate patch quality based on others' foraging success (B).

Question 4

Which two requirements must be met to demonstrate that animals plan for the future?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which two requirements must be met to...

Question 5

The simplest optimal prey choice models assume that:

Accepted Answer

The simplest optimal prey choice models assume that foragers cannot handle and search simultaneously (A) and that they aim to maximize their energy intake rate (C).

Question 6

Models that examine whether variance in food intake rates affect foraging decisions are called:

Accepted Answer

Risk-sensitive optimal foraging models consider how variability in food intake rates influences foraging decisions, accounting for the risk associated with different foraging strategies.

Question 7

Which of the following statements does NOT apply to Belovsky's study of specific nutrient constraints in moose?

Accepted Answer

Belovsky's study did not conclude that moose should spend approximately 81 percent of their summer foraging time on aquatic plants. This percentage is not a finding from the study.

Question 8

The "marginal value" refers to the:

Accepted Answer

The marginal value refers to the rate of intake associated with the next prey item in the current patch, which is a concept from the marginal value theorem in optimal foraging theory.

Question 9

The most salient prediction of optimal prey choice models is that the decision to add a less profitable prey item (prey type 2) to one's diet depends on:

Accepted Answer

The optimal prey choice model predicts that the decision to include a less profitable prey item in the diet depends on the encounter rate of the more profitable prey type (prey type 1). If the encounter rate of prey type 1 is high, it is more beneficial to focus on it exclusively.

Question 10

A "patch" is defined as a clump of resources that:

Accepted Answer

A "patch" in ecological terms refers to a clump of resources that can be depleted by foragers, so none of the given options correctly define a patch.

Question 11

Discuss the primary differences between social learning and public information models of foraging. In addition, consider the large body of work that has focused on what Ward & Zahavi (1973) dubbed the information center hypothesis in a paper entitled "The Importance of Certain Assemblages of Birds as 'Information Centers' For Food Finding" (Ibis, vol. 115, pp. 517- 534). Which of the two models-public information or social learning-is most applicable to the information center hypothesis? Also, consult Mock and colleagues' (1988) paper, "Falsifiability and the Information Centre Hypothesis" (Ornis Scandinavica, vol. 19, pp. 231-248). What were the major issues raised by Mock and colleagues? Conduct a literature search and determine whether any of these issues have since been resolved experimentally- provide details on your search.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the primary differences between social learning...

Question 12

As described in the chapter, Healey and Krebs (1992) examined the relationship between hippocampal volume and food-storing behavior in seven species of corvid birds. The authors found a strong positive correlation between hippocampal volume and the extent to which these birds store food (i.e., the hippocampus was larger in species that stored large quantities of food). Do these data provide conclusive evidence that the hippocampus is responsible for aspects of foraging related to spatial memory? If so, support your answer. If not, design an experiment that could shed light on the relationship between the hippocampus and food-storing behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of As described in the chapter, Healey and...

Question 13

Read the paper by Roth & Pravosudov (2009), "Hippocampal Volumes and Neuron Numbers Increase along a Gradient of Environmental Harshness: A Large-Scale Comparison" (Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, vol. 276, pp. 401-405). Also, consult Roth and colleagues' contribution to the theme issue cited in the Additional Readings section of this manual. Why might it be important to examine links between food caching, spatial memory, and hippocampal size across an environmental gradient? Why might it also be critical to examine hippocampal characteristics other than its absolute size? Which other characteristics might help us to resolve hippocampal function and its relationship with food caching and spatial memory?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Read the paper by Roth & Pravosudov...

Question 14

Describe how risk-sensitive foraging strategies might be manifest in a population of foragers. Can you think of any variables, aside from hunger, that might influence whether an individual chooses to forage using risk-prone or risk-averse strategies?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe how risk-sensitive foraging strategies might be...

Question 15

Based on what you have learned in this chapter, do you think molecular, neurobiological, and physiological techniques will significantly advance our understanding of foraging behavior in years to come? Discuss several aspects of foraging behavior that might be amenable to research that employs such techniques, and discuss at least three molecular, neurobiological, or physiological targets that you think might relate in significant ways to foraging behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Based on what you have learned in...

Question 16

Imagine that you are studying two populations of tropical lizards that inhabit areas where high-quality food items are distributed patchily (i.e., it would take some time to travel from patch to patch). Lizard population A inhabits an area with high predation risk while lizard population B inhabits an area with low predation risk (e.g., birds of prey). How might you expect foraging patterns to differ between these two lizard populations with respect to the time spent in a given patch? Construct your argument by modifying what you have learned about the marginal value theorem.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine that you are studying two populations...

Question 17

Read Shettleworth's (2012) paper, "Do Animals Have Insight, and What Is Insight Anyway?" (Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, vol. 66, pp. 217-226). First, define insight. Based on what you've read, do you think animals have insight? How might insight relate to foraging performance in animals?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Read Shettleworth's (2012) paper, "Do Animals Have...

Quiz 11: Foraging