Artifcial light at night(ALAN)is a common anthropogenic disturbance,which alters animal behavior.However,little is known about the impact of the spectral composition of ALAN and co-occurring predation risk on the beha...Artifcial light at night(ALAN)is a common anthropogenic disturbance,which alters animal behavior.However,little is known about the impact of the spectral composition of ALAN and co-occurring predation risk on the behavior of aquatic organisms.We experimentally investigated how ALAN of different spectra(cool white LED and HPS light)affects the behavior and foraging of Gammarus jazdzewskii(Amphipoda)on chironomid prey,both as a single stressor and in combination with an olfactory predation cue.Gammarids exposed to ALAN in the absence of predation cues consumed less,compared with darkness,mainly due to their lower activity.Moreover,gammarids showed a stronger response to LED light,spending more time in the shelter and increasing prey handling time in this treatment.The addition of predation cues did not enhance the negative impact of ALAN on the foraging success.Gammarids maintained similar consumption levels as in the ALAN treatment without predation cues and in darkness with predation cues.However,gammarids in LED light altered their behavior in response to predation threat:they decreased prey handling time and consumed prey faster,which may have compensated for the higher food demand in stressful conditions.They also tended to exhibit risky behavior,leaving the shelter and moving towards the lit area,presumably to escape and avoid the combined effects of light and predation cues.Therefore,when assessing the effects of ALAN on organisms,light quality and co-occurring biotic factors should be considered,as predator pressure is common in natural environments.展开更多
Food abundance and availability constitute fundamental determinants of foraging habitat quality for waterbirds, with high-quality foraging habitats playing a crucial role in supporting the survival and annual life cyc...Food abundance and availability constitute fundamental determinants of foraging habitat quality for waterbirds, with high-quality foraging habitats playing a crucial role in supporting the survival and annual life cycle of wintering populations. The ongoing degradation and loss of optimal habitats have forced wintering waterbirds to increasingly rely on alternative foraging sites and modify their behavioral adaptation strategies to cope with food scarcity. The Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus), a large-bodied endangered waterbird species characterized by specialized dietary preferences, demonstrates particular sensitivity to environmental alterations. Faced with diminishing suitable habitats and declining natural food resources, this species has progressively adapted to utilizing artificial habitats, including agricultural landscapes such as paddy fields and lotus ponds, as supplementary wintering foraging grounds to fulfill their energetic requirements. This study examines the hypothesis that Siberian Cranes adapt their foraging behavior through plastic behavioral strategies in artificial habitats under conditions of limited food availability, thereby enhancing population fitness. A comparative analysis of crane foraging behaviors was conducted between mudflats and lotus ponds throughout the 2023–2024 wintering period. This investigation focused on three critical environmental factors: food abundance, food burial depth, and sediment penetrability, examining their influence on foraging patterns across these distinct habitats. The results revealed significant inter-habitat differences: foraging success rates were substantially higher (p < 0.05) and food handling times markedly longer in lotus ponds compared to mudflats, whereas foraging effort and attempt frequency were significantly elevated in mudflat habitats. The superior food availability in lotus ponds facilitated enhanced foraging success rates, enabling cranes to accumulate essential energy reserves for winter survival. However, the deeper burial depth of lotus roots in these habitats required more intensive processing behaviors, including prolonged digging, breaking, and swallowing activities, which consequently increased handling time by approximately 40% and reduced foraging attempts by 25–30% compared to mudflat conditions. These behavioral trade-offs suggest that while lotus ponds provide adequate food resources, their structural characteristics may impose physiological constraints that limit their effectiveness as optimal foraging grounds for Siberian Cranes. These findings offer valuable insights into the behavioral plasticity of wintering Siberian Cranes response to spatial variations in food resource distribution, while contributing to our understanding of the ecological value of lotus roots as alternative winter food sources in artificial wetland ecosystems.展开更多
Two widespread bird species in Sri Lanka’s dry zone,Pycnonotus cafer(Red-vented Bulbul,RVBB)and Pycnonotus luteolus(White-browed Bulbul,WBBB),were studied to understand their foraging dynamics and ecology.The researc...Two widespread bird species in Sri Lanka’s dry zone,Pycnonotus cafer(Red-vented Bulbul,RVBB)and Pycnonotus luteolus(White-browed Bulbul,WBBB),were studied to understand their foraging dynamics and ecology.The research was conducted from October 2022 to February 2023 in Mihintale Sanctuary(80.30′11.24″E,8.21′04.63″N)and the Faculty of Applied Sciences,Rajarata University of Sri Lanka(80.502206″E,8.353090″N).Data were obtained through focal sampling,opportunistic observations,and mist netting.Both species predominantly foraged on twigs,using gleaning as the dominant food-handling technique.RVBB foraged mostly at the canopy level,while WBBB foraged primarily at the sub-canopy level.Fruits constituted the major food type for both species.RVBB and WBBB utilized 10 and 7 plant species,respectively,with Grewia helicterifolia being the primary foraging plant.Minimal foraging was observed on Croton sp.(RVBB)and Hugonia mistax(WBBB).The correlation between nutritional components and the consumption of both species revealed a preference for foods with lower protein,higher fat,and ash content.There was no linear correlation between gape width and fruit size(r=-0.21,P=0.69)for both species.The standardized dietary niche breadth indicated both species are specialists,with a high pairwise dietary niche overlap(0.9854).These findings highlight the niche-specific foraging adaptations of RVBB and WBBB within Mihintale,emphasizing their distinct strategies in utilizing plant species,fruit sizes,and foraging heights.Understanding such ecological dynamics is essential for habitat conservation efforts and ensuring the availability of key foraging resources for these species in the dry zone.展开更多
Abundant food supply is crucial for the survival of long-distance migratory birds.The continued population decline of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper(Calidris pygmeae),a critically endangered shorebird,is primarily attribu...Abundant food supply is crucial for the survival of long-distance migratory birds.The continued population decline of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper(Calidris pygmeae),a critically endangered shorebird,is primarily attributed to habitat loss and degradation.However,significant gaps remain in research on their diet and foraging habitat selection,limiting effective conservation and restoration efforts.In this study,we investigated the composition of macrobenthic communities,analyzing habitat and prey selection at the main foraging area of SBS in Tiaozini,Jiangsu Province of eastern China—their most critical staging site during southward migration.Our findings revealed 25 species of macrobenthos in foraging areas,with mobile epibenthos comprising the largest group by biomass,accounting for 73%,and having higher density and biomass nearshore.Observations of foraging Spoon-billed Sandpiper individuals indicated that shallow water habitats were their preferred foraging environments,where mobile epibenthos,which thrive in these habitats after the tide recedes,made up 81%of their biomass intake.We propose that shallow water habitats in intertidal mudflats serve as essential refuges for mobile epibenthos after tidal retreat,thereby providing Spoon-billed Sandpipers with access to high-quality food resources.Habitat protection efforts should prioritize habitats harboring extensive microhabitats with shallow water,especially the nearshore area,and further research is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying the formation of these microhabitats,with the ultimate goal of restoring more high-quality habitats for the Spoonbilled Sandpiper.展开更多
The authors regret that the scientific names of some species mentioned in the paper were incorrectly presented.The incorrect sci-entific names,their locations in the paper,correct spellings and refer-ences,are listed ...The authors regret that the scientific names of some species mentioned in the paper were incorrectly presented.The incorrect sci-entific names,their locations in the paper,correct spellings and refer-ences,are listed below.展开更多
Social learning is a mechanism used by many species to effciently gain information about their environment.Although many animals live in an environment where members of other species are present,little is known about ...Social learning is a mechanism used by many species to effciently gain information about their environment.Although many animals live in an environment where members of other species are present,little is known about interspecifc social learning.Domesticated and urbanized species provide the opportunity to investigate whether nonhuman animals can learn from heterospecifcs such as humans,who are integral parts of their social landscape.Although domestic dogs Canis familiaris have been intensively researched for their ability to learn from humans,most studies have focused on dogs living as pets.However,free-ranging dogs represent the majority of the world’s dog population,they live alongside humans,scavenge on human refuse,and are subject to natural and sexual selection.Thus,free-ranging dogs with extensive exposure to humans and their artifacts provide the opportunity to investigate interspecifc social learning in a naturalistic setting,where learning from humans might be a beneft for them.Here we tested individual free-ranging dogs in a between-subject design:Dogs in the control group could spontaneously choose between two novel and differently patterned food-delivering boxes.In the experimental group,instead,dogs could frst observe an unfamiliar human approaching and eating from 1 of the 2 boxes.We provide the frst evidence that free-ranging dogs match the choice of an unfamiliar human.These results show that at least simple forms of interspecifc social learning might be involved in dogs’success in living alongside humans in a complex urbanized environment.展开更多
This paper comprehensively analyzes the Manta Ray Foraging Optimization(MRFO)algorithm and its integration into diverse academic fields.Introduced in 2020,the MRFO stands as a novel metaheuristic algorithm,drawing ins...This paper comprehensively analyzes the Manta Ray Foraging Optimization(MRFO)algorithm and its integration into diverse academic fields.Introduced in 2020,the MRFO stands as a novel metaheuristic algorithm,drawing inspiration from manta rays’unique foraging behaviors—specifically cyclone,chain,and somersault foraging.These biologically inspired strategies allow for effective solutions to intricate physical challenges.With its potent exploitation and exploration capabilities,MRFO has emerged as a promising solution for complex optimization problems.Its utility and benefits have found traction in numerous academic sectors.Since its inception in 2020,a plethora of MRFO-based research has been featured in esteemed international journals such as IEEE,Wiley,Elsevier,Springer,MDPI,Hindawi,and Taylor&Francis,as well as at international conference proceedings.This paper consolidates the available literature on MRFO applications,covering various adaptations like hybridized,improved,and other MRFO variants,alongside optimization challenges.Research trends indicate that 12%,31%,8%,and 49%of MRFO studies are distributed across these four categories respectively.展开更多
Patterns of variation in the size of vulture foraging groups,and their ecological causes and consequences,remain litle explored despite strong links with the carrion recycling service that this key functional group pr...Patterns of variation in the size of vulture foraging groups,and their ecological causes and consequences,remain litle explored despite strong links with the carrion recycling service that this key functional group provides.We documented the group size-frequency pattern of Andean con-dors Vultur gryphus gathered to feed on 42 equine carcasses experimentally placed in Bolivia,between 2012 and 2019,along an elevation range of 1,300-4,500 m asl.Based on the location(altitude and latitude)of the foraging groups,we examined the relationship between their size and species'population parameters(size and trend),habitat conditions,and livestock carcass availability and predictability.Condors utilized a high frequency(93%)of carcasses forming groups that ranged from 1 to 80 individuals(mean=25,median=18)and shaped a"lazy-J curve"typical pattern of size-frequency distribution whereby few groups(5,12%)were large(>55 individuals)and most(21,50%)were relatively small(<19 individuals).Group size related to altitude in that most larger groups formed at lower sites(below c.3,000 m asl),likely following an altitudinal gradient whereby larger groups are more likely to form around larger carcasses(i.e.,cattle),which are more likely to occur at lower elevations.Regardless of population size,group size could be an adaptive response of condors via local enhancement for improving individual scavenging efficiency.Many information gaps on this topic still exist,thus we provide a set of questions to address them,especially amidst the unrestricted impacts of human activities that condition vulture survival globally.展开更多
Many animals use color to signal their quality and/or behavioral motivations.Colorful signals have been well studied in the contexts of competi-tion and mate choice;however,the role of these signals in nonsexual,affil...Many animals use color to signal their quality and/or behavioral motivations.Colorful signals have been well studied in the contexts of competi-tion and mate choice;however,the role of these signals in nonsexual,affiliative relationships is not as well understood.Here,we used wild social groups of the cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher to investigate whether the size of a brightly colored facial patch was related to 1)individual quality,2)social dominance,and/or 3)affiliative relationships.Individuals with larger patches spent more time foraging and tended to perform more aggressive acts against conspecific territory intruders.We did not find any evidence that the size of these yellow patches was related to social rank or body size,but dominant males tended to have larger patches than dominant females.Additionally,patch size had a rank-specific relationship with the number of affiliative interactions that individuals engaged in.Dominant males with large patches received fewer affiliative acts from their groupmates compared to dominant males with small patches.However,subordinates with large patches tended to receive more affiliative acts from their groupmates while performing fewer affiliative acts themselves.Taken together,our results suggest that patch size reflects interindividual variation in foraging effort in this cichlid fish and offer some of the first evidence that colorful signals may shape affiliative relationships withinwildsocialgroups.展开更多
The composition of assemblages,diet and behavior of waterbird species with similar ecological features are important aspects in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems.Closely related animal species often share resource...The composition of assemblages,diet and behavior of waterbird species with similar ecological features are important aspects in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems.Closely related animal species often share resources such as space and food in ways that reduce competition,but if the diets of different species strongly overlap,interspecific competition may intensify.This analysis examined behavioral data relating to Great Egret,Little Egret,and Squacco Heron to explore their foraging efficiencies in rich aquatic habitats in an arid zone during post-breeding movements.The fieldwork was carried out in small estuaries of a Wadi on the southern coast of Oman.The frequency of interactions was the highest in Squacco Heron and the lowest in Great Egret.However,the differences in the numbers of inter-and intra-specific interactions between the 3 species were significant.Activity indices calculated for a 5-min period,i.e.,the number of interactions(interaction index)and times of flying and walking(movement index)differed among the 3 species.The number of successful attacks was the highest in Squacco Heron,while the foraging effectiveness of Great Egret and Little Egret was similar.GLM analysis showed that only the movement index was significant,as it had a positive impact on individual foraging success.Great Egret caught more fish than the other 2 heron species which,in turn,caught a greater number of smaller prey items,mostly invertebrates.This study shows that heron species in the same rich habitat employ different foraging tactics.In comparison to the other two heron species,the foraging tactics of Squacco Heron seem to be the most susceptible to competition.However,its greater mobility and using different foraging tactics,enhance its foraging success.展开更多
Support Vector Machine(SVM)has become one of the traditional machine learning algorithms the most used in prediction and classification tasks.However,its behavior strongly depends on some parameters,making tuning thes...Support Vector Machine(SVM)has become one of the traditional machine learning algorithms the most used in prediction and classification tasks.However,its behavior strongly depends on some parameters,making tuning these parameters a sensitive step to maintain a good performance.On the other hand,and as any other classifier,the performance of SVM is also affected by the input set of features used to build the learning model,which makes the selection of relevant features an important task not only to preserve a good classification accuracy but also to reduce the dimensionality of datasets.In this paper,the MRFO+SVM algorithm is introduced by investigating the recent manta ray foraging optimizer to fine-tune the SVM parameters and identify the optimal feature subset simultaneously.The proposed approach is validated and compared with four SVM-based algorithms over eight benchmarking datasets.Additionally,it is applied to a disease Covid-19 dataset.The experimental results show the high ability of the proposed algorithm to find the appropriate SVM’s parameters,and its acceptable performance to deal with feature selection problem.展开更多
Understanding the foraging behavior is essential for investigating seabird ecology and conservation,as well as monitoring the well-being of the marine environment.Breeding seabirds adopt diverse foraging strategies to...Understanding the foraging behavior is essential for investigating seabird ecology and conservation,as well as monitoring the well-being of the marine environment.Breeding seabirds adopt diverse foraging strategies to maximize energy gains and cope with the intensified challenges of parenting and self-maintenance.Such tradeoff may stem from the heterogeneity of food resources and the constraints of central place foraging.Nevertheless,abundant marine productivity could alleviate the energy limitation for seabirds,resulting in a consistent foraging approach.Here,we investigated the foraging strategy during the breeding season of a cryptic small-sized seabird,Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel(Hydrobates monorhis),in the Yellow Sea,a productive marginal sea of the Northwest Pacific.Using GPS tracking,we evaluated habitat preference,quantified the foraging strategy,and tested if environmental conditions and individual traits influence foraging trips.We found that Swinhoe’s Storm-petrels preferred nearshore areas with shallow water and engaged in primarily short foraging trips.Distinctive southeastward and southwestward strategies emerged when combining trip metrics,including foraging direction,duration,and maximum distance.The bathymetry,proximity to the coastline,and sea surface temperature differed in two foraging strategies.Foraging strategies exhibited flexibility between individuals,potentially explained by wing morphology,in which longer-winged birds are more likely to embark on longer-distance foraging trips.These findings highlight the impact of environmental factors and individual traits on seabirds’foraging decisions in productive marginal sea ecosystems.Our study also provides valuable insights into the foraging ecology of this Asian endemic storm-petrel.展开更多
Invertebrates are the main source of protein for many small-to-medium sized monkeys. Prey vary in size, mobility, degree of protective coveting, and use of the forest, i.e. canopy height, and whether they are exposed ...Invertebrates are the main source of protein for many small-to-medium sized monkeys. Prey vary in size, mobility, degree of protective coveting, and use of the forest, i.e. canopy height, and whether they are exposed or embed themselves in substrates. Sex-differentiation in foraging patterns is well documented for some monkey species and recent studies find that color vision phenotype can also affect invertebrate foraging. Since vision phenotype is polymorphic and sex-linked in most New World monkeys - males have dichromatic vision and females have either dichromatic or trichromatic vision - this raises the possibility that sex differences are linked to visual ecology. We tested predicted sex differences for invertebrate foraging in white-faced capuchins Cebus capucinus and conducted 12 months of study on four free-ranging groups between January 2007 and September 2008. We found both sex and color vision effects. Sex： Males spent more time foraging for invertebrates on the ground. Females spent more time consuming embedded, colonial invertebrates, ate relatively more ＂soft＂ sedentary invertebrates, and devoted more of their activity budget to invertebrate foraging. Color Vision： Dichromatic monkeys had a higher capture efficiency of ex- posed invertebrates and spent less time visually foraging. Trichromats ate relatively more ＂hard＂ sedentary invertebrates. We con- elude that some variation in invertebrate foraging reflects differences between the sexes that may be due to disparities in size, strength, reproductive demands or niche preferences. However, other intraspecific variation in invertebrate foraging that might be mistakenly attributed to sex differences actually reflects differences in color vision [Current Zoology 56 （3）： 300-312, 2010].展开更多
We modeled foraging habitats of Hume’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) on a macro-habitat level using ArcGIS in an attempt to provide scientific reference for management and restoration of habitats. Field work was condu...We modeled foraging habitats of Hume’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) on a macro-habitat level using ArcGIS in an attempt to provide scientific reference for management and restoration of habitats. Field work was conducted from March to April in 2006 and 2008, and from October to November in 2005 and 2008 in Dazhong Mountain, Yunnan Province, southwestern China. The selection of ecological factors was estimated by means of a resource selection index, distance analysis and the method of hierarchical habitat selection. The foraging habitat patches were modeled spatially by ArcGIS. The results show that actual and potential foraging patches overlapped considerably in spring and autumn. The number and total areas of patches in the autumn were smaller than those in the spring. The minimum and average areas of patches in the autumn were larger than those in the spring, while the maximum areas of actual and potential foraging patches in the autumn were equal to those in the spring. Similarity in the selection for survival and safety consideration in both seasons was the main strategy for landscape factors of habitats by Hume’s Pheasant, while seasonal difference in selecting a landscape matrix was their secondary strategy, affecting landscape factors in the habitat. Changes of foraging patches in both seasons reflect a difference of resources requirement by the bird. Fragmentation and miniaturization of foraging patches would result in the formation of a meta-population of Hume’s Pheasant.展开更多
Throughout evolutionary history,animals are finely tuned to adjust their behaviors corresponding to environmental variations.Behavioral flexibility represents an important component of a species'adaptive capacity ...Throughout evolutionary history,animals are finely tuned to adjust their behaviors corresponding to environmental variations.Behavioral flexibility represents an important component of a species'adaptive capacity in the face of rapid anthropogenetic environmental change,and knowledge of animal behaviors is increasingly recognized in conservation biology.In aquatic ecosystem,variation of water depth is a key factor affecting the availability of food;thus,the foraging behaviors of many waterbirds,especially piscivores.In this study,we compared the foraging behaviors of the Scaly-sided Merganser(Mergus squamatus),an endangered migratory diving duck endemic to East Asia,in habitats with different water depths(Shallow waters:0–40 cm;Deep waters:40–300 cm),using video camera records obtained from the known wintering sites during three winters from 2018 to 2020.Further,the energy expenditure of foraging behavior profile and energy intake based on fish sizes were calculated to study the foraging energetics.In total,200 effective video footages that contained 1086 min with 17,995 behaviors and 163 events of catching fish were recorded.Results showed that:1)time length for fishing(including eye-submerging,head-dipping,diving and food handling)of M.squamatus in shallow waters was significantly more than in deep waters;2)M.squamatuss spent significantly more time for preparing(including vigilance,preening and swimming)in deep waters than in shallow waters;3)the mean catch rate was 0.28 fish/min in shallow waters,which is significantly higher than the value of 0.13 fish/min in deep waters;4)despite the distinct foraging behavior profiles and energy intakes,M.squamatus showed similar energetics in shallow and deep waters.We concluded that M.squamatus is a good example of behavioral flexibility that aligns with expectations of optimal foraging theory,in that it behaves in accordance to resource availability in different environments,resulting in high foraging efficiency.展开更多
The Three-toed Woodpecker subspecies Picoides tridactylus funebris is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau in China. No part of its life history was ever reported since its discovery in 1870. To close this gap, we obs...The Three-toed Woodpecker subspecies Picoides tridactylus funebris is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau in China. No part of its life history was ever reported since its discovery in 1870. To close this gap, we observed foraging behavior of a pair between April and August 2007. A total of 117 observations (28 for male and 89 for female) were obtained by following the birds within their home-ranges using radio-tracking. P. t. funebris preferred foraging on live spruces and snags bigger than available with an average diameter of breast height (DBH) of 32.7 ± 9.2 cm. The most frequent foraging technique was pecking (39.8% of foraging time) and peeling (13.2%). Moreover, sap-sucking was observed more often in P. t. funebris than in P. t. alpinus, suggesting that P. t. funebris was more dependent on the tree sap than the other subspecies. We found distinct niche partitioning between the sexes with respect to use of three out of four investigated parameters of the foraging substrates. These differences were likely related to sexual dimorphism pronounced by slightly larger bill of the male. We concluded that the subspecies P. t. funebris displayed foraging behavior which was very similar to that of other subspecies of the Three-toed Woodpecker.展开更多
The quantum bacterial foraging optimization(QBFO)algorithm has the characteristics of strong robustness and global searching ability. In the classical QBFO algorithm, the rotation angle updated by the rotation gate is...The quantum bacterial foraging optimization(QBFO)algorithm has the characteristics of strong robustness and global searching ability. In the classical QBFO algorithm, the rotation angle updated by the rotation gate is discrete and constant,which cannot affect the situation of the solution space and limit the diversity of bacterial population. In this paper, an improved QBFO(IQBFO) algorithm is proposed, which can adaptively make the quantum rotation angle continuously updated and enhance the global search ability. In the initialization process, the modified probability of the optimal rotation angle is introduced to avoid the existence of invariant solutions. The modified operator of probability amplitude is adopted to further increase the population diversity.The tests based on benchmark functions verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Moreover, compared with the integerorder PID controller, the fractional-order proportion integration differentiation(PID) controller increases the complexity of the system with better flexibility and robustness. Thus the fractional-order PID controller is applied to the servo system. The tuning results of PID parameters of the fractional-order servo system show that the proposed algorithm has a good performance in tuning the PID parameters of the fractional-order servo system.展开更多
The utilization of biomimicry of bacterial foraging strategy was considered to develop an adaptive control strategy for mobile robot, and a bacterial foraging approach was proposed for robot path planning. In the prop...The utilization of biomimicry of bacterial foraging strategy was considered to develop an adaptive control strategy for mobile robot, and a bacterial foraging approach was proposed for robot path planning. In the proposed model, robot that mimics the behavior of bacteria is able to determine an optimal collision-free path between a start and a target point in the environment surrounded by obstacles. In the simulation, two test scenarios of static environment with different number obstacles were adopted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Simulation results show that the robot which reflects the bacterial foraging behavior can adapt to complex environments in the planned trajectories with both satisfactory accuracy and stability.展开更多
文摘Artifcial light at night(ALAN)is a common anthropogenic disturbance,which alters animal behavior.However,little is known about the impact of the spectral composition of ALAN and co-occurring predation risk on the behavior of aquatic organisms.We experimentally investigated how ALAN of different spectra(cool white LED and HPS light)affects the behavior and foraging of Gammarus jazdzewskii(Amphipoda)on chironomid prey,both as a single stressor and in combination with an olfactory predation cue.Gammarids exposed to ALAN in the absence of predation cues consumed less,compared with darkness,mainly due to their lower activity.Moreover,gammarids showed a stronger response to LED light,spending more time in the shelter and increasing prey handling time in this treatment.The addition of predation cues did not enhance the negative impact of ALAN on the foraging success.Gammarids maintained similar consumption levels as in the ALAN treatment without predation cues and in darkness with predation cues.However,gammarids in LED light altered their behavior in response to predation threat:they decreased prey handling time and consumed prey faster,which may have compensated for the higher food demand in stressful conditions.They also tended to exhibit risky behavior,leaving the shelter and moving towards the lit area,presumably to escape and avoid the combined effects of light and predation cues.Therefore,when assessing the effects of ALAN on organisms,light quality and co-occurring biotic factors should be considered,as predator pressure is common in natural environments.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32470553).
文摘Food abundance and availability constitute fundamental determinants of foraging habitat quality for waterbirds, with high-quality foraging habitats playing a crucial role in supporting the survival and annual life cycle of wintering populations. The ongoing degradation and loss of optimal habitats have forced wintering waterbirds to increasingly rely on alternative foraging sites and modify their behavioral adaptation strategies to cope with food scarcity. The Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus), a large-bodied endangered waterbird species characterized by specialized dietary preferences, demonstrates particular sensitivity to environmental alterations. Faced with diminishing suitable habitats and declining natural food resources, this species has progressively adapted to utilizing artificial habitats, including agricultural landscapes such as paddy fields and lotus ponds, as supplementary wintering foraging grounds to fulfill their energetic requirements. This study examines the hypothesis that Siberian Cranes adapt their foraging behavior through plastic behavioral strategies in artificial habitats under conditions of limited food availability, thereby enhancing population fitness. A comparative analysis of crane foraging behaviors was conducted between mudflats and lotus ponds throughout the 2023–2024 wintering period. This investigation focused on three critical environmental factors: food abundance, food burial depth, and sediment penetrability, examining their influence on foraging patterns across these distinct habitats. The results revealed significant inter-habitat differences: foraging success rates were substantially higher (p < 0.05) and food handling times markedly longer in lotus ponds compared to mudflats, whereas foraging effort and attempt frequency were significantly elevated in mudflat habitats. The superior food availability in lotus ponds facilitated enhanced foraging success rates, enabling cranes to accumulate essential energy reserves for winter survival. However, the deeper burial depth of lotus roots in these habitats required more intensive processing behaviors, including prolonged digging, breaking, and swallowing activities, which consequently increased handling time by approximately 40% and reduced foraging attempts by 25–30% compared to mudflat conditions. These behavioral trade-offs suggest that while lotus ponds provide adequate food resources, their structural characteristics may impose physiological constraints that limit their effectiveness as optimal foraging grounds for Siberian Cranes. These findings offer valuable insights into the behavioral plasticity of wintering Siberian Cranes response to spatial variations in food resource distribution, while contributing to our understanding of the ecological value of lotus roots as alternative winter food sources in artificial wetland ecosystems.
文摘Two widespread bird species in Sri Lanka’s dry zone,Pycnonotus cafer(Red-vented Bulbul,RVBB)and Pycnonotus luteolus(White-browed Bulbul,WBBB),were studied to understand their foraging dynamics and ecology.The research was conducted from October 2022 to February 2023 in Mihintale Sanctuary(80.30′11.24″E,8.21′04.63″N)and the Faculty of Applied Sciences,Rajarata University of Sri Lanka(80.502206″E,8.353090″N).Data were obtained through focal sampling,opportunistic observations,and mist netting.Both species predominantly foraged on twigs,using gleaning as the dominant food-handling technique.RVBB foraged mostly at the canopy level,while WBBB foraged primarily at the sub-canopy level.Fruits constituted the major food type for both species.RVBB and WBBB utilized 10 and 7 plant species,respectively,with Grewia helicterifolia being the primary foraging plant.Minimal foraging was observed on Croton sp.(RVBB)and Hugonia mistax(WBBB).The correlation between nutritional components and the consumption of both species revealed a preference for foods with lower protein,higher fat,and ash content.There was no linear correlation between gape width and fruit size(r=-0.21,P=0.69)for both species.The standardized dietary niche breadth indicated both species are specialists,with a high pairwise dietary niche overlap(0.9854).These findings highlight the niche-specific foraging adaptations of RVBB and WBBB within Mihintale,emphasizing their distinct strategies in utilizing plant species,fruit sizes,and foraging heights.Understanding such ecological dynamics is essential for habitat conservation efforts and ensuring the availability of key foraging resources for these species in the dry zone.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42361144873)Yellow Sea Wetland Project(No.HHSDKT202312)the“Saving Spoon-billed Sandpiper”project of Shenzhen Mangrove Wetlands Conservation Foundation(MCF)。
文摘Abundant food supply is crucial for the survival of long-distance migratory birds.The continued population decline of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper(Calidris pygmeae),a critically endangered shorebird,is primarily attributed to habitat loss and degradation.However,significant gaps remain in research on their diet and foraging habitat selection,limiting effective conservation and restoration efforts.In this study,we investigated the composition of macrobenthic communities,analyzing habitat and prey selection at the main foraging area of SBS in Tiaozini,Jiangsu Province of eastern China—their most critical staging site during southward migration.Our findings revealed 25 species of macrobenthos in foraging areas,with mobile epibenthos comprising the largest group by biomass,accounting for 73%,and having higher density and biomass nearshore.Observations of foraging Spoon-billed Sandpiper individuals indicated that shallow water habitats were their preferred foraging environments,where mobile epibenthos,which thrive in these habitats after the tide recedes,made up 81%of their biomass intake.We propose that shallow water habitats in intertidal mudflats serve as essential refuges for mobile epibenthos after tidal retreat,thereby providing Spoon-billed Sandpipers with access to high-quality food resources.Habitat protection efforts should prioritize habitats harboring extensive microhabitats with shallow water,especially the nearshore area,and further research is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying the formation of these microhabitats,with the ultimate goal of restoring more high-quality habitats for the Spoonbilled Sandpiper.
文摘The authors regret that the scientific names of some species mentioned in the paper were incorrectly presented.The incorrect sci-entific names,their locations in the paper,correct spellings and refer-ences,are listed below.
文摘Social learning is a mechanism used by many species to effciently gain information about their environment.Although many animals live in an environment where members of other species are present,little is known about interspecifc social learning.Domesticated and urbanized species provide the opportunity to investigate whether nonhuman animals can learn from heterospecifcs such as humans,who are integral parts of their social landscape.Although domestic dogs Canis familiaris have been intensively researched for their ability to learn from humans,most studies have focused on dogs living as pets.However,free-ranging dogs represent the majority of the world’s dog population,they live alongside humans,scavenge on human refuse,and are subject to natural and sexual selection.Thus,free-ranging dogs with extensive exposure to humans and their artifacts provide the opportunity to investigate interspecifc social learning in a naturalistic setting,where learning from humans might be a beneft for them.Here we tested individual free-ranging dogs in a between-subject design:Dogs in the control group could spontaneously choose between two novel and differently patterned food-delivering boxes.In the experimental group,instead,dogs could frst observe an unfamiliar human approaching and eating from 1 of the 2 boxes.We provide the frst evidence that free-ranging dogs match the choice of an unfamiliar human.These results show that at least simple forms of interspecifc social learning might be involved in dogs’success in living alongside humans in a complex urbanized environment.
文摘This paper comprehensively analyzes the Manta Ray Foraging Optimization(MRFO)algorithm and its integration into diverse academic fields.Introduced in 2020,the MRFO stands as a novel metaheuristic algorithm,drawing inspiration from manta rays’unique foraging behaviors—specifically cyclone,chain,and somersault foraging.These biologically inspired strategies allow for effective solutions to intricate physical challenges.With its potent exploitation and exploration capabilities,MRFO has emerged as a promising solution for complex optimization problems.Its utility and benefits have found traction in numerous academic sectors.Since its inception in 2020,a plethora of MRFO-based research has been featured in esteemed international journals such as IEEE,Wiley,Elsevier,Springer,MDPI,Hindawi,and Taylor&Francis,as well as at international conference proceedings.This paper consolidates the available literature on MRFO applications,covering various adaptations like hybridized,improved,and other MRFO variants,alongside optimization challenges.Research trends indicate that 12%,31%,8%,and 49%of MRFO studies are distributed across these four categories respectively.
基金funded by The Peregrine Fund's Neotropical Science and Student Education Program,a British Ornithologists'Union Small Ornithological Research Grant,a Neotropical Birding and Conservation(formerly known as Neotropical Bird Club)Conservation Award granted to D.Méndez in 2014,and two 2018 grants to D.Méndez,one from the Rufford Small Grants Foundation(24763-1)another from the International Foundation for Science(I-1-D-6156-1).
文摘Patterns of variation in the size of vulture foraging groups,and their ecological causes and consequences,remain litle explored despite strong links with the carrion recycling service that this key functional group provides.We documented the group size-frequency pattern of Andean con-dors Vultur gryphus gathered to feed on 42 equine carcasses experimentally placed in Bolivia,between 2012 and 2019,along an elevation range of 1,300-4,500 m asl.Based on the location(altitude and latitude)of the foraging groups,we examined the relationship between their size and species'population parameters(size and trend),habitat conditions,and livestock carcass availability and predictability.Condors utilized a high frequency(93%)of carcasses forming groups that ranged from 1 to 80 individuals(mean=25,median=18)and shaped a"lazy-J curve"typical pattern of size-frequency distribution whereby few groups(5,12%)were large(>55 individuals)and most(21,50%)were relatively small(<19 individuals).Group size related to altitude in that most larger groups formed at lower sites(below c.3,000 m asl),likely following an altitudinal gradient whereby larger groups are more likely to form around larger carcasses(i.e.,cattle),which are more likely to occur at lower elevations.Regardless of population size,group size could be an adaptive response of condors via local enhancement for improving individual scavenging efficiency.Many information gaps on this topic still exist,thus we provide a set of questions to address them,especially amidst the unrestricted impacts of human activities that condition vulture survival globally.
基金supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada(NSERC)Discovery grant provided to SB(RGPIN-2016-05772)the National Science Foundation under grant No.1557836 provided to IMH.
文摘Many animals use color to signal their quality and/or behavioral motivations.Colorful signals have been well studied in the contexts of competi-tion and mate choice;however,the role of these signals in nonsexual,affiliative relationships is not as well understood.Here,we used wild social groups of the cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher to investigate whether the size of a brightly colored facial patch was related to 1)individual quality,2)social dominance,and/or 3)affiliative relationships.Individuals with larger patches spent more time foraging and tended to perform more aggressive acts against conspecific territory intruders.We did not find any evidence that the size of these yellow patches was related to social rank or body size,but dominant males tended to have larger patches than dominant females.Additionally,patch size had a rank-specific relationship with the number of affiliative interactions that individuals engaged in.Dominant males with large patches received fewer affiliative acts from their groupmates compared to dominant males with small patches.However,subordinates with large patches tended to receive more affiliative acts from their groupmates while performing fewer affiliative acts themselves.Taken together,our results suggest that patch size reflects interindividual variation in foraging effort in this cichlid fish and offer some of the first evidence that colorful signals may shape affiliative relationships withinwildsocialgroups.
基金supported by the University of Siedlce,Poland(Theme No.151/23/B and 152/23/B fnanced from a science grant by the Ministry of Education and Science,Poland).
文摘The composition of assemblages,diet and behavior of waterbird species with similar ecological features are important aspects in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems.Closely related animal species often share resources such as space and food in ways that reduce competition,but if the diets of different species strongly overlap,interspecific competition may intensify.This analysis examined behavioral data relating to Great Egret,Little Egret,and Squacco Heron to explore their foraging efficiencies in rich aquatic habitats in an arid zone during post-breeding movements.The fieldwork was carried out in small estuaries of a Wadi on the southern coast of Oman.The frequency of interactions was the highest in Squacco Heron and the lowest in Great Egret.However,the differences in the numbers of inter-and intra-specific interactions between the 3 species were significant.Activity indices calculated for a 5-min period,i.e.,the number of interactions(interaction index)and times of flying and walking(movement index)differed among the 3 species.The number of successful attacks was the highest in Squacco Heron,while the foraging effectiveness of Great Egret and Little Egret was similar.GLM analysis showed that only the movement index was significant,as it had a positive impact on individual foraging success.Great Egret caught more fish than the other 2 heron species which,in turn,caught a greater number of smaller prey items,mostly invertebrates.This study shows that heron species in the same rich habitat employ different foraging tactics.In comparison to the other two heron species,the foraging tactics of Squacco Heron seem to be the most susceptible to competition.However,its greater mobility and using different foraging tactics,enhance its foraging success.
文摘Support Vector Machine(SVM)has become one of the traditional machine learning algorithms the most used in prediction and classification tasks.However,its behavior strongly depends on some parameters,making tuning these parameters a sensitive step to maintain a good performance.On the other hand,and as any other classifier,the performance of SVM is also affected by the input set of features used to build the learning model,which makes the selection of relevant features an important task not only to preserve a good classification accuracy but also to reduce the dimensionality of datasets.In this paper,the MRFO+SVM algorithm is introduced by investigating the recent manta ray foraging optimizer to fine-tune the SVM parameters and identify the optimal feature subset simultaneously.The proposed approach is validated and compared with four SVM-based algorithms over eight benchmarking datasets.Additionally,it is applied to a disease Covid-19 dataset.The experimental results show the high ability of the proposed algorithm to find the appropriate SVM’s parameters,and its acceptable performance to deal with feature selection problem.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(T2350005 to YL)。
文摘Understanding the foraging behavior is essential for investigating seabird ecology and conservation,as well as monitoring the well-being of the marine environment.Breeding seabirds adopt diverse foraging strategies to maximize energy gains and cope with the intensified challenges of parenting and self-maintenance.Such tradeoff may stem from the heterogeneity of food resources and the constraints of central place foraging.Nevertheless,abundant marine productivity could alleviate the energy limitation for seabirds,resulting in a consistent foraging approach.Here,we investigated the foraging strategy during the breeding season of a cryptic small-sized seabird,Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel(Hydrobates monorhis),in the Yellow Sea,a productive marginal sea of the Northwest Pacific.Using GPS tracking,we evaluated habitat preference,quantified the foraging strategy,and tested if environmental conditions and individual traits influence foraging trips.We found that Swinhoe’s Storm-petrels preferred nearshore areas with shallow water and engaged in primarily short foraging trips.Distinctive southeastward and southwestward strategies emerged when combining trip metrics,including foraging direction,duration,and maximum distance.The bathymetry,proximity to the coastline,and sea surface temperature differed in two foraging strategies.Foraging strategies exhibited flexibility between individuals,potentially explained by wing morphology,in which longer-winged birds are more likely to embark on longer-distance foraging trips.These findings highlight the impact of environmental factors and individual traits on seabirds’foraging decisions in productive marginal sea ecosystems.Our study also provides valuable insights into the foraging ecology of this Asian endemic storm-petrel.
基金supported by grants from The Leakey Foundationthe Alberta Ingenuity Fund+4 种基金the Animal Behavior Societythe National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)NSERC and the Canada Research Chairs Programthe Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (16405015)(A) (19207018) from JSPS
文摘Invertebrates are the main source of protein for many small-to-medium sized monkeys. Prey vary in size, mobility, degree of protective coveting, and use of the forest, i.e. canopy height, and whether they are exposed or embed themselves in substrates. Sex-differentiation in foraging patterns is well documented for some monkey species and recent studies find that color vision phenotype can also affect invertebrate foraging. Since vision phenotype is polymorphic and sex-linked in most New World monkeys - males have dichromatic vision and females have either dichromatic or trichromatic vision - this raises the possibility that sex differences are linked to visual ecology. We tested predicted sex differences for invertebrate foraging in white-faced capuchins Cebus capucinus and conducted 12 months of study on four free-ranging groups between January 2007 and September 2008. We found both sex and color vision effects. Sex： Males spent more time foraging for invertebrates on the ground. Females spent more time consuming embedded, colonial invertebrates, ate relatively more ＂soft＂ sedentary invertebrates, and devoted more of their activity budget to invertebrate foraging. Color Vision： Dichromatic monkeys had a higher capture efficiency of ex- posed invertebrates and spent less time visually foraging. Trichromats ate relatively more ＂hard＂ sedentary invertebrates. We con- elude that some variation in invertebrate foraging reflects differences between the sexes that may be due to disparities in size, strength, reproductive demands or niche preferences. However, other intraspecific variation in invertebrate foraging that might be mistakenly attributed to sex differences actually reflects differences in color vision [Current Zoology 56 （3）： 300-312, 2010].
基金financed by the Wildlife Conservation Program in 2009, administered by the State Forestry Administration of Chinasupported as a key subject by the Wildlife Conservation and Utilization Program in Yunnan Province (No. XKZ200904)
文摘We modeled foraging habitats of Hume’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) on a macro-habitat level using ArcGIS in an attempt to provide scientific reference for management and restoration of habitats. Field work was conducted from March to April in 2006 and 2008, and from October to November in 2005 and 2008 in Dazhong Mountain, Yunnan Province, southwestern China. The selection of ecological factors was estimated by means of a resource selection index, distance analysis and the method of hierarchical habitat selection. The foraging habitat patches were modeled spatially by ArcGIS. The results show that actual and potential foraging patches overlapped considerably in spring and autumn. The number and total areas of patches in the autumn were smaller than those in the spring. The minimum and average areas of patches in the autumn were larger than those in the spring, while the maximum areas of actual and potential foraging patches in the autumn were equal to those in the spring. Similarity in the selection for survival and safety consideration in both seasons was the main strategy for landscape factors of habitats by Hume’s Pheasant, while seasonal difference in selecting a landscape matrix was their secondary strategy, affecting landscape factors in the habitat. Changes of foraging patches in both seasons reflect a difference of resources requirement by the bird. Fragmentation and miniaturization of foraging patches would result in the formation of a meta-population of Hume’s Pheasant.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(BLX202147)the Joint Fund for Regional Innovation and Development of NSFC(U22A20563).
文摘Throughout evolutionary history,animals are finely tuned to adjust their behaviors corresponding to environmental variations.Behavioral flexibility represents an important component of a species'adaptive capacity in the face of rapid anthropogenetic environmental change,and knowledge of animal behaviors is increasingly recognized in conservation biology.In aquatic ecosystem,variation of water depth is a key factor affecting the availability of food;thus,the foraging behaviors of many waterbirds,especially piscivores.In this study,we compared the foraging behaviors of the Scaly-sided Merganser(Mergus squamatus),an endangered migratory diving duck endemic to East Asia,in habitats with different water depths(Shallow waters:0–40 cm;Deep waters:40–300 cm),using video camera records obtained from the known wintering sites during three winters from 2018 to 2020.Further,the energy expenditure of foraging behavior profile and energy intake based on fish sizes were calculated to study the foraging energetics.In total,200 effective video footages that contained 1086 min with 17,995 behaviors and 163 events of catching fish were recorded.Results showed that:1)time length for fishing(including eye-submerging,head-dipping,diving and food handling)of M.squamatus in shallow waters was significantly more than in deep waters;2)M.squamatuss spent significantly more time for preparing(including vigilance,preening and swimming)in deep waters than in shallow waters;3)the mean catch rate was 0.28 fish/min in shallow waters,which is significantly higher than the value of 0.13 fish/min in deep waters;4)despite the distinct foraging behavior profiles and energy intakes,M.squamatus showed similar energetics in shallow and deep waters.We concluded that M.squamatus is a good example of behavioral flexibility that aligns with expectations of optimal foraging theory,in that it behaves in accordance to resource availability in different environments,resulting in high foraging efficiency.
基金supported by National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (30620130110)the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘The Three-toed Woodpecker subspecies Picoides tridactylus funebris is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau in China. No part of its life history was ever reported since its discovery in 1870. To close this gap, we observed foraging behavior of a pair between April and August 2007. A total of 117 observations (28 for male and 89 for female) were obtained by following the birds within their home-ranges using radio-tracking. P. t. funebris preferred foraging on live spruces and snags bigger than available with an average diameter of breast height (DBH) of 32.7 ± 9.2 cm. The most frequent foraging technique was pecking (39.8% of foraging time) and peeling (13.2%). Moreover, sap-sucking was observed more often in P. t. funebris than in P. t. alpinus, suggesting that P. t. funebris was more dependent on the tree sap than the other subspecies. We found distinct niche partitioning between the sexes with respect to use of three out of four investigated parameters of the foraging substrates. These differences were likely related to sexual dimorphism pronounced by slightly larger bill of the male. We concluded that the subspecies P. t. funebris displayed foraging behavior which was very similar to that of other subspecies of the Three-toed Woodpecker.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(6137415361473138)+2 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20151130)Six Talent Peaks Project in Jiangsu Province(2015-DZXX-011)China Scholarship Council Fund(201606845005)
文摘The quantum bacterial foraging optimization(QBFO)algorithm has the characteristics of strong robustness and global searching ability. In the classical QBFO algorithm, the rotation angle updated by the rotation gate is discrete and constant,which cannot affect the situation of the solution space and limit the diversity of bacterial population. In this paper, an improved QBFO(IQBFO) algorithm is proposed, which can adaptively make the quantum rotation angle continuously updated and enhance the global search ability. In the initialization process, the modified probability of the optimal rotation angle is introduced to avoid the existence of invariant solutions. The modified operator of probability amplitude is adopted to further increase the population diversity.The tests based on benchmark functions verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Moreover, compared with the integerorder PID controller, the fractional-order proportion integration differentiation(PID) controller increases the complexity of the system with better flexibility and robustness. Thus the fractional-order PID controller is applied to the servo system. The tuning results of PID parameters of the fractional-order servo system show that the proposed algorithm has a good performance in tuning the PID parameters of the fractional-order servo system.
基金Project(61173032)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(20090406)supported by the Tianjin Scientific and Technological Development Fund of Higher Education of China
文摘The utilization of biomimicry of bacterial foraging strategy was considered to develop an adaptive control strategy for mobile robot, and a bacterial foraging approach was proposed for robot path planning. In the proposed model, robot that mimics the behavior of bacteria is able to determine an optimal collision-free path between a start and a target point in the environment surrounded by obstacles. In the simulation, two test scenarios of static environment with different number obstacles were adopted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Simulation results show that the robot which reflects the bacterial foraging behavior can adapt to complex environments in the planned trajectories with both satisfactory accuracy and stability.
