EVALUATING PREFERENCE IN LABORATORY STUDIES OF DIET SELECTION

Field studies describe diet selection of populations but do not permit analysis of the factors causing individual variation in the foraging behaviour of animals. Although numerous indices have been developed to compare use and availability of foods in field diets of animals, little attention has been given to laboratory approaches for comparing food choices. Tests of food choice must account for the order, consumption rate, and total amount of each food type eaten. The author proposes using the area under the curve of the cumulative proportion eaten versus time for each food type. -from Author