Faust (theory in behavioral ecology)

Faust is a concept in behavioral ecology that describes a situation where animals, such as predators or parasites, benefit more from maximizing their overall reproduction rather than conserving resources for future survival. In essence, they "go all in" on current reproductive efforts, often overexploiting their environment or hosts to produce the greatest number of offspring now, even at the risk of depleting their future chances. This strategy reflects a trade-off between immediate reproductive success and long-term survival, highlighting how some species adopt aggressive reproductive tactics in certain ecological contexts.