Behavioural interactions are often difficult to study because an individual’s be

Physiological responses to the abiotic environment are not under an organism’s direct control, and will consistently occur regardless of the presence of other organisms. In contrast, individuals may deliberately alter their behaviour when conspecifics or individuals of other species are present (for example, elk that would normally browse in a meadow may stay in the forest when wolves are present). Game theory is useful because it allows ecologists to predict behaviours and outcomes under simplified conditions. These models can then be used to understand empirical observations.