Revisiting the role of behavior-mediated structuring in the survival of populations in hostile environments.

ABSTRACT: Increasing the population density of target species is a major goal of ecosystem and agricultural management. This task is especially challenging in hazardous environments with a high abundance of natural enemies such as parasites and predators. Safe locations with lower mortality have been long considered a beneficial factor in enhancing population survival, being a promising tool in commercial fish farming and restoration of threatened species. Here we challenge this opinion and revisit the role of behavior structuring in a hostile environment in shaping the population density. We build a mathematical model, where individuals are structured according to their defensive tactics against natural enemies. The model predicts that although each safe zone enhances the survival of an individual,

SUBMITTER: Sandhu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10786947 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature