Behavioral plasticity and the valence of indirect interactions

The preprint operates within the paradigm of predator-prey interactions and community ecology, specifically focusing on how individual behavior can influence population dynamics and species interactions.

This preprint presents a model refinement of apparent competition by incorporating behavioral plasticity, specifically hiding behavior in prey species. The core paradigm remains consistent with existing ecological theory but integrates a more nuanced understanding of individual behavior. This represents a drift within the model, where the fundamental principles of predator-prey dynamics and species interactions remain accepted but where specific dynamics and outcomes are influenced by fine-tuning the behaviors of individuals within the model. The study does not propose a radical departure from existing theory (model revolution or paradigm shift) but instead explores the consequences of an added layer of complexity within the conventional apparent competition framework (normal science with model drift). The classification could also be 'Normal Science', but because the specific outcomes of the model differ drastically based on the fine-tuning of individual-level organismal behaviors, a better classification would be 'Model Drift'.