The marginal value theorem (MVT) is an optimality model that usually describes the behavior of an optimally foraging individual in a patchy system, but it can also be applied to other situations in which organisms face diminishing returns.
The marginal value theorem (MVT) is an optimality model that usually describes the behavior of an optimally foraging individual in a system where resources (often food) are located in discrete patches separated by areas with no resources. The MVT can also be applied to other situations in which organisms face diminishing returns.