Ambush strategy impacts species predominance and coexistence in generalised rock–paper–scissors models

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.