Learning to forage in a regenerating patchy environment: Can it fail to be optimal? (Q1083404)

The behaviour of animals foraging along closed traplines of regenerating patches of food has been simulated using a learning rule that determines when an animal should leave the patch at which it is currently feeding to search for another one. The foraging behaviour of one animal, and of two or more animals together, feeding in traplines containing patches of the same and of differing types has been simulated. The learning model is also responsible for indirect social interactions among animals sharing the same trapline because the feeding of each animal reduces the availability of food for the others. The relationship between the learning model and conventional optimal foraging models is examined and it is shown that it is pointless to try to account for learned behaviour in the context of optimal foraging theory.