Predation and group living

Inman AJ, Krebs J

Two mechanisms by which grouping can help reduce individual danger of predation are the "encounter effect' (detection of prey does not increase in direct proportion to group size) and the "dilution effect' (reduction of the probability of each individual being attacked). This review debates whether there is advantage in living as a group only when both these effects operate simultaneously, and identifies problems of providing supporting or refutative evidence. -P.J.Jarvis