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About This Simulation
Join the human colony on the fictional exoplanet Astakos IV to study the local alien species. What do they eat?hy and where do they forage for food? Can you build a model using our foraging theories from Earth?
Learning Objectives
- Understand the concepts of optimal foraging theory, foraging currency and daily budget
- Predict a foraging model using a model of energy gain given a tradeoff between energy and nutrients.
- Correct the model with field studies identifying additional environmental factors
- Compare the behavior of risk-prone individuals in a stress situation versus controls (risk-sensitivity)
About This Simulation
Lab Techniques
- Optimal Foraging Theory
- Foraging currency
Related Standards
- No direct alignment
- No direct alignment
- No direct alignment
Learn More About This Simulation
Can we predict where, when and how animals will be looking for food? In this simulation, you will learn about the behaviours that regulate the foraging habits of animals. Discover the notions of foraging currency, daily budget and the optimality model, all of which can be used to predict the foraging patterns.
Protecting crops from a local forager
Scientists on the exoplanet Astakos IV have a problem: One of the local species has been eating the crops in the colony’s agricultural research facility. In this simulation, your task is to study the behavior of that animal in its natural habitat, and to try to create a model of the foraging patterns in order to understand why the animal comes to the colony to feed.
Optimal Foraging Theory
Your first task is to define the trophic strategy of the alien forager, and then to builda theoretical model around the foraging pattern using nutritional data and the Optimal Foraging Theory. You will go on a field trip to follow a specimen in the wild, thus adding field data to your predictions and updating the model accordingly. Finally, you will have to incorporate the notion of risk-sensitivity to create a complete foraging model of this entirely new and fictional species.
Save the crops!
Using your newfound knowledge, will you be able to find a solution to stop the forager fromfeeding on the crops in the colony?
Experience Labster for Yourself
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Related Course
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Competition: Learn to identify and quantify competition between species
Help the residents in Astakos IV to increase the yield of their crops by reducing the competition between different species.
Population Growth: Lets catch some goslins!
Help ecologists devise a conservation strategy that will protect the goslin population on a newly discovered exoplanet, Astakos IV.
For Science Programs Providing a Learning Advantage
North Dakota State College of Science
“They did the simulation at home, then completed the in-person lab within 30 minutes, no questions asked, and passed the quiz with flying colors.”
Lecturer in Human Physiology
University of Westminster
"I saw some of the students who clearly didn’t necessarily like sitting there reading a book discover they could turn on Labster and keep up with the rest of the class because it spoke to them.
Modesto City Schools
"Having something that's engaging for the students gives teachers that opportunity to breathe and get excited again. Because they're seeing the kids light up, they're seeing the kids engage with content."
Wenatchee Valley College
"The question always is, ‘Can we demonstrate that the students are meeting course outcomes?’ Check! We can do that.”
San José State University
"We surveyed over 400 students. More than 90% thought Labster was easy to navigate, and that it was fun, but more importantly, most of them felt confident that they could execute the labs in person. And that confidence is a big deal."
FAQs
Find answers to frequently asked questions.
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Labster can be integrated within a school's LMS (Learning Management System), and students can access it like any other assignment in their LMS. If your Institution does not choose an LMS integration, students will log in to Labster's Course Manager once they have an account created. Your institution will decide the access method during the sales process.
Labster is only available for purchase by faculty and administration at academic institutions. To procure Labster, simply reach out to us on our website. Schedule a demo, book a meeting to discuss pricing, start a free trial, or simply fill out our contact form.
Labster simulations are created by real scientists and designed with unparalleled interactivity. Unlike point and click competitors, Labster simulations immerse students and encourage mastery through active learning.
Labster supports a wide range of courses at the high school and university level across fields in biology, chemistry and physics. Some simulations mimic lab procedures with high fidelity to train foundational skills, while others are meant to bring theory to life through interactive scenarios.