Foraging Knowledge-Based Download PDF

Questions

1. 1.

   According to central place foraging models, how is the load size brought back by an animal provisioning dependent offspring predicted to change as the distance between the nest and the foraging patch increases?

   • A) The load size increases to offset the greater travel time and energetic cost of longer round trips.
   • B) The load size decreases because carrying heavy loads over long distances substantially increases predation risk.
   • C) The load size remains constant because provisioning capacity is strictly limited by the physical dimensions of the mouth or bill.
   • D) The load size decreases to maximize flight speed and minimize locomotion expenditure per unit of travel time.
2. 2.

   According to risk-sensitive foraging theory, which foraging preference is predicted for an animal facing an energetic shortfall that threatens starvation?

   • A) A risk-prone strategy favoring patches with high variance in food reward over patches with constant mean yield
   • B) A risk-averse strategy favoring patches with constant food yield over patches with variable food reward
   • C) A risk-neutral strategy indifferent to reward variance as long as patch search time is zero
   • D) A specialist strategy that restricts feeding exclusively to prey requiring the longest handling time
3. 3.

   According to the classic prey choice model in optimal foraging theory, whether a predator includes a lower-profitability prey item in its diet depends directly on which factor?

   • A) The encounter rate and abundance of the lower-profitability prey item
   • B) The encounter rate and abundance of the higher-profitability prey item
   • C) The absolute physical size and mobility of the secondary prey species
   • D) The cumulative search time spent traveling across barren territory between patches
4. 4.

   According to the marginal value theorem, how is an animal's residence time within a food patch predicted to change as travel time between patches increases?

   • A) It should decrease its residence time to minimize cumulative metabolic expenditure.
   • B) It should abandon the patch immediately upon consuming the most accessible food item.
   • C) It should maintain a constant residence time because initial patch quality alone dictates departure.
   • D) It should increase its residence time and harvest the patch more thoroughly before leaving.
5. 5.

   According to optimal foraging theory, natural selection is expected to favor behavioral strategies that maximize which of the following variables?

   • A) The total gross energy obtained from food, regardless of handling time
   • B) The total distance covered by an animal across foraging patches
   • C) The absolute amount of time spent searching for high-quality prey items
   • D) The net rate of energy gain per unit of foraging time