Aggregation and the `Ideal Free' Distribution

Abstract
According to the "ideal free" distribution, predators should distribute themselves so each obtains the same food intake. Using this as a basis, a model is developed which incorporates interference and the disk equation to describe the aggregation of predators. It predicts that they should be distributed so that: the proportion of predators in a site = constant .times. proportion of prey in that site1/m, where m measures the strength of interference. This model predicts the level of spatial density dependence and simplifies the analysis of population stability.