The Geometry of Foraging Patterns: Components of Thoroughness in Random Searching

A Monte Carlo simulation of the movements of a randomly-searching predator was used to develop a novel geometrical measure, the thoroughness of the search, and to investigate the effects of meander, turn asymmetry, and path length. Thoroughness varied directly with the meander and the square of the asymmetry measure and remained relatively invariant with path length. The regularity of its relationship to the generating parameters of the search and the ease with which it may be estimated from field data recommend thoroughness for use in characterizing empirical search patterns and in testing for the occurrence of systematic searching