Food Production and Competitor Density as the Determinants of Feeding Territory Size

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Abstract
An energy-time budget model is developed which predicts the influence of various environmental factors upon feeding territory size. For nonbreeding animals maintaining noncontiguous territories, territory size should vary inversely with food production, but directly with competitor density, for feeding-time minimizers (defined here as animals that exhibit relatively fixed daily energy requirements); and vary inversely with both food production and competitor density for food-energy maximizers, animals whose potential reproductive success is positively correlated with their net energetic intake. Concomitant predicted changes in time budgeting provide operational criteria for testing the model. Besides the primary effects of food and competitors, other factors [territory invasion, sexual selection and parental care] may also influence territory size.