Title: Ambush strategy impacts species predominance and coexistence in rock-paper-scissors models Show Chinese title

Title: 伏击策略影响石头剪刀布模型中物种的主导性和共存

Abstract: We investigate the adaptive Ambush strategy in cyclic models following the rules of the spatial rock-paper-scissors game. In our model, individuals of one species possess cognitive abilities to perceive environmental cues and assess the local density of the species they dominate in the spatial competition for natural resources. Based on this assessment, they either initiate a direct attack or, if the local concentration of target individuals does not justify the risk, reposition strategically to prepare an ambush. To quantify the evolutionary consequences of these behavioural strategies, we perform stochastic simulations, analysing emergent spatial patterns and the dependence of species densities on the threshold used by individuals to decide between immediate attack or anticipation. Our findings reveal that, despite being designed to enhance efficiency, cognitive strategies can reduce the abundance of the species due to the constraints of cyclic dominance. We identify an optimal decision threshold: attacking only when the local density of target individuals exceeds 15% provides the best balance between selection risk and long-term persistence. Furthermore, the Ambush strategy benefits low-mobility organisms, increasing coexistence probabilities by up to 53%. These results deepen the understanding of adaptive decision-making in spatial ecology, linking cognitive complexity to ecosystem resilience and extinction risk. Show Chinese abstract

Abstract: 我们研究了在遵循空间石头剪刀布游戏规则的循环模型中自适应伏击策略。 在我们的模型中，某一物种的个体具有认知能力来感知环境线索，并评估在争夺自然资源的空间竞争中它们所支配物种的局部密度。 基于这种评估，它们要么发起直接攻击，要么如果目标个体的局部浓度不足以证明风险合理，则战略性地重新定位以准备伏击。 为了量化这些行为策略的进化后果，我们进行随机模拟，分析出现的空间模式以及物种密度对个体用于决定立即攻击或预期的阈值的依赖性。 我们的发现表明，尽管这些认知策略旨在提高效率，但由于循环支配的限制，它们可能会减少物种的丰富度。 我们确定了一个最佳决策阈值：仅当目标个体的局部密度超过15%时才进行攻击，这在选择风险和长期持续性之间提供了最佳平衡。 此外，伏击策略有利于低移动性的生物，将共存概率提高多达53%。 这些结果加深了对空间生态学中自适应决策的理解，将认知复杂性与生态系统弹性及灭绝风险联系起来。