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A Size‐Distance Relation in Food Selection by Beavers
Author(s) -
Jenkins Stephen H.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1936743
Subject(s) - foraging , predation , optimal foraging theory , ecology , range (aeronautics) , shore , biology , fishery , materials science , composite material
The relationship between sizes of trees cut by beavers and distances from the borders of their ponds was examined at three sites in central Massachusetts. For most tree genera, the beavers cut a smaller range of sizes far from shore than close to shore, and relatively more small trees and fewer large trees at greater distances. The second of these results differs from the pattern of preference found in other studies in which predators were much larger than their prey, unlike this case of beavers feeding on trees. Both kinds of results are consistent with an optimal foraging model of size—distance relations in which pursuit or provisioning time depends on size of prey as well as distance (Schoener 1979).