Energy, space and competition: A model of territorial organization in camelids
Abstract
Ecological theory predicts that herbivores adopt behaviors that balance energetic costs and benefits, shaping both foraging and reproductive organization. In some wild ungulates, such as camelids, males defend resource-rich areas to attract females and secure their offspring, leading to the emergence of territorial systems. However, existing territorial models rarely incorporate the well-established allometric relationships between body mass and metabolic costs. In this study, we develop a spatially explicit, individual-based model of territorial organization in camelids, in which male behavior is governed by an energy balance equation that includes allometric locomotion costs, resource acquisition, and the energetic risks of aggressive encounters. We show that (i) a body-mass-dependent threshold determines which individuals can establish and maintain territories, (ii) spatial resource connectivity strongly modulates competition intensity and territorial inequality, and (iii) confrontation costs play a key stabilizing role by limiting territorial expansion and promoting coexistence. Our results provide a mechanistic link between metabolic scaling, spatial structure, and social organization, offering new insights into the ecological and evolutionary drivers of territoriality in ungulates.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{gonzalez2026energy,
title = {{Energy, space and competition: A model of territorial organization in camelids}},
author = {Tomás Ignacio González and Guillermo Abramson and María Fabiana Laguna},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.39993},
eprint = {2609.39993},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.39993},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Energy, space and competition: A model of territorial organization in camelids
AU - Tomás Ignacio González
AU - Guillermo Abramson
AU - María Fabiana Laguna
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.39993
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.39993
AB - Ecological theory predicts that herbivores adopt behaviors that balance energetic costs and benefits, shaping both foraging and reproductive organization. In some wild ungulates, such as camelids, males defend resource-rich areas to attract females and secure their offspring, leading to the emergence of territorial systems. However, existing territorial models rarely incorporate the well-established allometric relationships between body mass and metabolic costs. In this study, we develop a spatially explicit, individual-based model of territorial organization in camelids, in which male behavior is governed by an energy balance equation that includes allometric locomotion costs, resource acquisition, and the energetic risks of aggressive encounters. We show that (i) a body-mass-dependent threshold determines which individuals can establish and maintain territories, (ii) spatial resource connectivity strongly modulates competition intensity and territorial inequality, and (iii) confrontation costs play a key stabilizing role by limiting territorial expansion and promoting coexistence. Our results provide a mechanistic link between metabolic scaling, spatial structure, and social organization, offering new insights into the ecological and evolutionary drivers of territoriality in ungulates.
ER -