Spatially explicit models of group foraging by herbivores: what can Agent-Based Models offer?

Abstract

-Spatially explicit models of herbivore foraging can increase the knowledge of ethologists by enabling the prediction of the evolution of complex systems and revealing underlying behavioural mechanisms. We first show how spatially explicit models that do not distinguish between individuals imply making assumptions which violate some basic biological principles. Next, we describe how the main behavioural processes that determine herbivore foraging have already been incorporated in spatially explicit individual-based models of foraging. We then discuss how the use of agent technology promotes the inclusion of social oriented cognition in individual-based simulations, emphasising the emergence of macro-phenomena from the local interactions between individual organisms. This approach makes agent-based models particularly suited to simulate the behaviour of groups of foraging herbivores. We discuss how agent-based models can help to investigate conditions that are not easily amenable to experimentation, such as the effects of differences in memory capacity or in sociability, and how they are adapted to integrate the experimentally-demonstrated laws, processes and theoretical frameworks developed in herbivore foraging. agent-based model / grazing / individual-based model / social behaviour / spatial memory Résumé -L'apport des systèmes multi-agents à la modélisation du pâturage des herbivores. Les modèles spatialisés relatifs au pâturage des herbivores augmentent la connaissance des éthologues lorsqu'ils permettent de comprendre les mécanismes sous-jacents au fonctionnement des systèmes, et de prédire leur évolution. Nous commençons par montrer que les modèles spatialisés qui ne prennent pas en compte les caractéristiques individuelles des animaux vont à l'encontre de principes biologiques majeurs. Puis, nous décrivons comment les principaux mécanismes comportementaux qui déterminent le comportement des herbivores au pâturage ont déjà été pris en compte dans des modèles spatialisés individus-centrés. Ensuite, nous discutons que l'approche multi-agents s'adapte remarquablement bien à la représentation du comportement de groupes d'animaux, parce qu'elle permet de représenter les conséquences d'intéractions d'agents agissant en parallèle, de telle manière qu'elles influencent le comportement de l'ensemble du système. Nous montrons alors comment un modèle multi-agents peut permettre d'explorer des situations difficiles à tester expérimentalement, comme par exemple les conséquences de variations des capacités mémorielles des animaux ou de

Predatory plants and patchy cows: modeling cattle interactions with toxic larkspur amid variable heterogeneity

“…Agent-based models are computational simulation tools that focus on bottom-up encoding of 91 individual "agent" behaviors as they interact with one another and the environment (Grimm 92 1999, McLane et al 2011). Agent-based models are particularly useful in modeling complex 93 systems where the results of interactions between system elements are not easily predicted, and 94 thus useful for simulating the behavior of social herbivores foraging in a heterogeneous 95 environment (Dumont andHill 2004, Grimm et al 2005). Nevertheless, they have thus far been 96 little used in improving our understanding of livestock behavior and management.…”

Agent‐based Modeling of Animal Movement: A Review

“…flies and mosquitoes; see Arrignon et al 2007;Linard et al 2009;Shaman 2007), large herbivores (e.g. bison, elk, and sheep; see Bennett and Tang 2006;Dumont and Hill 2004;Morales et al 2005;Turner et al 1994), large carnivores (e.g. tiger, and panther; see Ahearn 2001;Comiskey et al 1997), and large omnivores (e.g.…”

“…This theory can be used to guide an agent's decision on when to begin or end foraging movements and, thus, balance energy gained against energy expended. In their review of ABM of animal foraging, Dumont and Hill (2004) further elucidated the importance of foraging in animal movement. Turner et al (1994) simulated the wintering behavior of large ungulates (including elk and bison) whose foraging behavior is driven by daily intake requirements and intake rates.…”

The integration of GPS, vegetation mapping and GIS in ecological and behavioural studies

“…Nams, 2006) as well as models of herbivore foraging behaviour that are spatially explicit (e.g. Farnsworth & Beecham, 1999;Dumont & Hill, 2004) which will allow hypothesis about the behavioural and biological mechanisms underlying foraging to be developed and tested. The precise and objective empirical data provided by the combined animal position, foraging behaviour and vegetation map approach described in this paper will be invaluable in helping to develop and test these hypotheses.…”