How spatiotemporal cognition and movement of seed-dispersing animals influence plant distribution

The scenarios discussing the evolution of the spatiotemporal cognitive abilities of vagile plant eaters generally assume that their movement strategies are linked to their cognitive abilities, which are themselves shaped by the distribution patterns of plants considered invariant over long time periods. Yet, if plant distribution patterns are likely to remain unchanged over short time periods, they may change over long time periods as a result of animal exploitation. In particular, animals can shape the environment by dispersing plant seeds. Using an agent-based model simulating the foraging behaviour of a seed disperser endowed with spatiotemporal knowledge of resource distribution, I investigated whether resource spatiotemporal patterns could be influenced by the level of spatiotemporal cognition involved in foraging. This level of spatiotemporal cognition represented how well the agent predicted resource locations and phenology. I showed that seed-dispersing agents moving based on sp..., , , # How spatiotemporal cognition and movement of seed-dispersing animals influence plant distribution

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9s4mw6mrz](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9s4mw6mrz)

## Description of the data and file structure

This repository contains simulated data only. Detailed explanations of the simulations can be found in the associated manuscript (DOI: 10.1111/oik.10931). Here you will find the output of the simulations (i.e. the data) and the script to run and analyse these simulations.

### Files and variables

**What are the data?**

All results of the simulations are included in the attached zip file (note that a fixed seed was used, unless I forgot, and should the simulations be run, the same results would be obtained).

#### Main: all simulations for the main text.

Each file name can be understood as:

Performed test_p and value of the perceptual ranges_r and value of the spatial knowledge rate_t and value of the temporal knowledge rate_r and value of the simulation r...