Citation
Ecological traps in changing environments: Ecological and evolutionary consequences of a behaviourally mediated Allee effect
TL;DR
Traps can create population declines even when individuals are behaving 'optimally' based on available cues
Models how ecological traps can cause population-level consequences through behavioral mechanisms. Shows how individually rational choices can lead to collective harm when environmental cues become unreliable - directly parallel to businesses making individually rational decisions that collectively trap an industry.
Key Findings from Kokko & Sutherland (2001)
- Traps can create population declines even when individuals are behaving 'optimally' based on available cues
- Trap severity depends on proportion of population affected and fitness consequences
- Traps can persist because selection for avoiding them is weak until trap is severe