Dynamic cost allocation allows network-forming forager to switch between search strategies

TL;DR

This study investigates how the slime mold Physarum polycephalum dynamically reorganizes its network during foraging, revealing how cost trade-offs enable switching between different search strategies in changing environments.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of ongoing network reorganization in slime mold, identifying distinct states and their energetic costs, highlighting the role of cost trade-offs in adaptive foraging strategies.

Findings

Identified three distinct network states with different morphologies and velocities.

Estimated energetic costs for each state and revealed a trade-off between building and transport costs.

Showed that network morphology diversity supports varied foraging strategies constrained by costs.

Abstract

Network-forming organisms, like fungi and slime molds, dynamically reorganize their networks during foraging. The resulting re-routing of resource flows within the organism's network can significantly impact local ecosystems. In current analysis limitations stem from a focus on single-time-point morphology, hindering understanding of continuous dynamics and underlying constraints. Here, we study ongoing network reorganization in the foraging slime mold \textit{Physarum~polycephalum}, identifying three distinct states with varying morphology and migration velocity. We estimate the energetic cost of each state and find a trade-off between building and transport costs within the morphological variability, facilitating different search strategies. Adaptation of state population to the environment suggests that diverse network morphologies support varied foraging strategies, though constrained by associated costs. Our findings provide insights for evaluating the impact of resource flow re-routing in changing ecosystems.