Title

Energetic Dynamics and Anuran Breeding Phenology: Insights From a Dynamic Game

Author Info

Shannon J. McCauley, University of FloridaFollow
Sarah S. Bouchard, University of Florida
Brian J. Farina, University of Florida
Kavita Isvaran, University of Florida
Suhel Quader, University of Florida
Daniel W. Wood, University of Florida
Colette M. St. Mary, University of Florida

Recommended Citation

Postprint version. Published in Behavioral Ecology, Volume 11, Issue 4, January 1, 2000, pages 429-436.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Shannon J. McCauley was not yet affiliated with Cal Poly.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/11.4.429.

Abstract

We designed a dynamic optimization model to examine anuran-breeding phenologies. We evaluated the fitness consequences for males adopting one of four alternative strategies: calling, satelliting, foraging, or hiding. Various factors potentially influence male behavior, including energy reserves, predation risk, cost of calling, probability of finding food, distribution of male energy states in the population, and probability of surviving to another breeding season. We manipulated these parameters to determine how strongly each affects breeding phenology and chorus structure. Manipulating parameters related to the energetic costs and benefits of individual decisions, we generated the three basic patterns of anuran breeding phenology: explosive, continuous, and prolonged breeding with episodic chorusing. Increasing the probability of successful foraging caused a shift from an explosive pattern to a prolonged, episodic chorusing pattern. Decreasing the calling cost resulted in continuous chorusing. Our model predicted that satelliting will be a rare strategy adopted by individuals with relatively low energy reserves. Additionally, individuals adopting the satellite strategy should alternate among satelliting, foraging, and calling as their energy reserves fluctuate. Our results suggest that energetic costs of reproduction and resource limitation may be crucial factors influencing the phenology of anuran chorusing. We propose that under varying conditions of resource availability, male decisions are the consequence of two strategies: a starvation minimization strategy and an energy-state maximization strategy

Disciplines

Biology

Copyright

2000 Oxford University Press.

Publisher statement

This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Behavioral Ecology following peer review.