Measuring Preference in Selective Predation

Abstract

Selective predation occurs when the relative frequencies of prey types in a predator's diet differ from the relative frequencies in the environment. A measure of preference is proposed which is derived from a simple stochastic model involving probability of encounter and probability of capture upon encounter. The measure is applicable to any number of prey types and methods of estimation are given for both constant and changing prey numbers. Because the measure is based on a biological model, it can be manipulated and interpreted in a meaningful way.