Abstract：
This study explores the food transport efficiency (E) in a termite tunnel consisting of a main tunnel and a 2-segment loop tunnel through a model simulation. Simulated termites navigate between the main and loop tunnels through branching nodes (a, b, c, d) with associated probabilities (P1, P2, P3, P4). The loop tunnel locations (δ) are considered: near the nest (δ = 1), at the center of the main tunnel (δ = 2), and close to the food site (δ = 3). The results reveal that for δ = 1, paths such as a → d → b → c and c → d → b → a exhibited high E values. Conversely, for δ = 2, P3 and P4 demonstrate elevated E values ranging from 0.4 to 0.6. For δ = 3, paths like c → d or c → b display high E values, emphasizing the significance of in-loop separation tunnels (characterized by P3 and P4) in alleviating traffic congestion. Partial rank correlation validates that P1 and P2 minimally influence E, while P3 and P4 significantly negatively impact E, regardless of δ. However, for δ = 2, the influence of P3 and P4 is notably reduced due to the positional symmetry of the loop tunnel. In the discussion, we address model limitations and propose strategies to overcome them. Additionally, we outline potential experimental validations to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics governing termite food transport within tunnels.
摘要：
本研究通过模型模拟探索了由主隧道和2段环形隧道组成的白蚁隧道中的食物运输效率（E）。模拟白蚁通过分支节点(a，B,C,d)具有相关概率(P1、P2、P3、P4)。考虑环路隧道位置（δ）：在嵌套附近（δ=1），在主隧道的中心(δ=2)，并且靠近食物位置(δ=3)。结果表明，对于δ=1，诸如a→d→b→c和c→d→b→a的路径表现出较高的E值。相反，对于δ=2，P3和P4显示出升高的E值，范围为0.4至0.6。对于δ=3，如c→d或c→b的路径显示高E值，强调环内分离隧道(以P3和P4为特征)在缓解交通拥堵方面的重要性。偏秩相关验证了P1和P2对E的影响最小，而P3和P4显著负面影响E，不管δ。然而,对于δ=2,由于环路隧道的位置对称性,P3和P4的影响显著减小。在讨论中,我们解决了模型的局限性，并提出了克服它们的策略。此外,我们概述了潜在的实验验证，以确保全面了解隧道内白蚁食物运输的动力学。
