HERD EFFECTS
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1514 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences, Methodology or model |
The protective effects for individuals resulting from congregation in considerable numbers.
Such effects can be observed in numerous different animal species: fish Template:Ency term , nesting birds, gregarious mammals, insects flights, etc…
Those individuals at the center of the herd are better protected because they are completely surrounded by individuals of the same species which are not dangerous to them. The peripherical individuals are more at Template:Ency term because, on the outer ring, they are in direct contact with the Template:Ency term of possible predators. In most cases “insiders” and “outsiders” rotate, which is globally efficient for the whole flock.
Observing nesting birds, Diane Template:Ency person (Yale University) discovered that the central area is at a disadvantage when the predator is airborne, thus able to make use of the third Template:Ency term . In that case, the central Template:Ency term of the flock offers increased opportunities to the predator.
(Source: The Economist, Oct. 18th 1997)