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Group-living herbivores weigh up food availability and dominance status when making patch-joining decisions.

ABSTRACT: Two key factors that influence the foraging behaviour of group-living herbivores are food availability and individual dominance status. Yet, how the combination of these factors influences the patch-joining decisions of individuals foraging within groups has scarcely been explored. To address this, we focused on the patch-joining decisions of group-living domestic goats (Capra hircus). When individuals were tested against the top four ranked goats of the herd, we found that at patches with low food availability they avoided these dominant patch-holders and only joined subordinates (i.e. costs outweighed benefits). However, as the amount of food increased, the avoidance of the top ranked individuals declined. Specifically, goats shifted and joined the patch of an individual one dominance rank higher than the previous dominant patch holder when the initial quantity of food in the new patch was twice that of the lower ranking individual's patch (i.e. benefits outweighed costs). In contrast, when individuals chose between patches held by dominant goats, other than the top four ranked goats, and subordinate individuals, we found that they equally joined the dominant and subordinate patch-holders. This joining was irrespective of the dominance gap, absolute rank of the dominant patch-holder, sex or food availability (i.e. benefits outweighed costs). Ultimately, our results highlight that herbivores weigh up the costs and benefits of both food availability and patch-holder dominance status when making patch-joining decisions. Furthermore, as the initial quantity of food increases, food availability becomes more important than dominance with regard to influencing patch-joining decisions.

SUBMITTER: Stears K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4182780 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Group-living herbivores weigh up food availability and dominance status when making patch-joining decisions.

Stears Keenan K Kerley Graham I H GI Shrader Adrian M AM

PloS one 20141001 10

Two key factors that influence the foraging behaviour of group-living herbivores are food availability and individual dominance status. Yet, how the combination of these factors influences the patch-joining decisions of individuals foraging within groups has scarcely been explored. To address this, we focused on the patch-joining decisions of group-living domestic goats (Capra hircus). When individuals were tested against the top four ranked goats of the herd, we found that at patches with low f ...[more]

PMID: 25271889

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Project description:OBJECTIVES:To understand stakeholders' views regarding the content and design of paediatric clinical trial multimedia websites. To describe how this knowledge informed the development of the multimedia websites. DESIGN:Qualitative study comprising two rounds of interviews or focus groups, with thematic analysis of interview transcripts. PARTICIPANTS:Sixty-two people (21 children and young people with long-term health conditions, 24 parents and 17 professionals). SETTING:One UK children's hospital and one UK Young Persons' Advisory Group. RESULTS:When asked what was important in deciding whether to join a trial, children, young people and parents prioritised information about what participation would involve, what the trial was testing, potential benefits and risks of participation and knowing they could leave the trial if they later changed their minds. Young people and parents trusted trial teams to follow regulatory and quality requirements and therefore did not think such information was a priority for the websites, although logos of trusted organisations could lend credibility. Professionals largely concurred with these views. Children and young people advised on the importance of designing the multimedia website to ensure its appearance, tone and wording suited the intended audience and on using animated characters to facilitate children's engagement. CONCLUSIONS:Our study provides insights into the information that families value when deciding about healthcare trial participation. It provides guidance on the design of information resources to appeal to children and young people, while also being acceptable to parents and professionals who are often gatekeepers of children's access to information. Our findings will be of use to others developing similar multimedia websites. We report specific information needs and new visual preferences that are not usually addressed in printed trial information. Our work illustrates what qualitative research and participatory design practices can contribute to the development of information resources more generally. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:ISRCTN73136092; Pre-results.

Dataset Information

Group-living herbivores weigh up food availability and dominance status when making patch-joining decisions.

Publications

Group-living herbivores weigh up food availability and dominance status when making patch-joining decisions.

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