Individual Competition and the Emergence of Density-Dependent Exposure to Predation: How Behaviors Influence Population Processes

Resource competition acts at both the individual and the population levels. Stable dynamics result in a persistent system whereas unstable dynamics can result in extinction. This study explores how localized competition between individuals, over spatially distributed resources, influences exposure to predation. Using data from real-world experiments to inform a simulation, individual behaviors are linked to density-dependent population processes. The prominent emergent property is density-dependent exposure to predation. Depending on the population size and the availability of refugia, dif-ferent aspects of the competitive behaviors drive the density-dependent effect. The results of the model provide a conceptual base for how specific interactions between individuals can bring about emergent population level processes. Keywords refuge competition · density dependence · individual-based model · dominance hierarchy · emergence · ODD protocol