Assuming that leaf-cutter ants conform to the travel-time prediction of Charnov's marginal value theorem in exploiting plant patches that provide suitable leaves on which to grow fungi, increasing distances between plants providing suitable leaves and the ants' nest will:

increase giving-up times within plant patches.

Explanation:

Charnov (1976) developed the first one-spot exit model called the Marginal Value Theorem. This model has six premises:

The fitness of the individual increases linearly with the net rate of energy obtained. The energy profit of the spot depends on the type of prey and is a function associated with the amount of time spent on the spot. Energy profit decreases over time as the resource decreases in the spot. The quality of each spot is "known" by the leaf-cutting ants, as well as the time spent between the spots. It is known by the leaf-cutting ants the amount of spots with the type of prey sought and the energy cost (measured over time) of travel between and within the spots to search for and catch prey. The decision to start a stain is based only on the time spent on the stain and the quality of the stain.

Based on these principles, we can conclude that by exploiting plant patches that provide adequate leaves for fungal growth, increasing the distances between plants by providing adequate leaves and ant nest: increase the drop-out times within plant patches.