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Stochastic Optimal Foraging Theory

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Dispersal, Individual Movement and Spatial Ecology

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Mathematics ((LNMBIOS,volume 2071))

Abstract

We present here the core elements of a stochastic optimal foraging theory (SOFT), essentially, a random search theory for ecologists. SOFT complements classic optimal foraging theory (OFT) in that it assumes fully uninformed searchers in an explicit space. Mathematically, the theory quantifies the time spent by a random walker (the forager) on a spatial region delimited by absorbing boundaries (the targets). The walker starts from a given initial position and has no previous knowledge (nor the possibility to gain knowledge) on target/patch locations. Averages on such process can describe the dynamics of an uninformed forager looking for successive targets in a diverse and dynamical spatial environment. The framework provides a means to advance in the study of search uncertainty and animal information use in natural foraging systems.

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Acknowledgements

We thank CNPq, CAPES, FACEPE (Brazilian agencies), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RyC-2009-04133 and BFU2010-22337) for financial support. FB specially thanks A. Oltra for helping in the edition of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes, Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Girona, Spain

    Frederic Bartumeus

  2. Laboratório de Física Teórica e Computacional, Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil

    Ernesto P. Raposo

  3. Departamento de Física Teórica e Experimental, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil

    Gandhi M. Viswanathan

  4. Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil

    Marcos G. E. da Luz

Authors
  1. Frederic Bartumeus
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  2. Ernesto P. Raposo
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  3. Gandhi M. Viswanathan
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  4. Marcos G. E. da Luz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frederic Bartumeus .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Mathematical & Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Central Academic Building 632, Edmonton, T6G 2G1, Alberta, Canada

    Mark A. Lewis

  2. Mathematical Institute, Centre for Mathematical Biology, University of Oxford, St. Giles Street 24-29, Oxford, OX1 3LB, United Kingdom

    Philip K. Maini

  3. Department of Mathematics, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom

    Sergei V. Petrovskii

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Bartumeus, F., Raposo, E.P., Viswanathan, G.M., da Luz, M.G.E. (2013). Stochastic Optimal Foraging Theory. In: Lewis, M., Maini, P., Petrovskii, S. (eds) Dispersal, Individual Movement and Spatial Ecology. Lecture Notes in Mathematics(), vol 2071. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35497-7_1

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