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Cong W, Li J, Hacker C, Li Y, Zhang Y, Jin L, Zhang Y, Li D, Xue Y, Zhang Y. Different coexistence patterns between apex carnivores and mesocarnivores based on temporal, spatial, and dietary niche partitioning analysis in Qilian Mountain National Park, China. eLife 2024; 13:RP90559. [PMID: 39259595 PMCID: PMC11390114 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Carnivores play key roles in maintaining ecosystem structure and function as well as ecological processes. Understanding how sympatric species coexist in natural ecosystems is a central research topic in community ecology and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we explored intra- and interspecific niche partitioning along spatial, temporal, and dietary niche partitioning between apex carnivores (wolf Canis lupus, snow leopard Panthera uncia, Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx) and mesocarnivores (Pallas's cat Otocolobus manul, red fox Vulpes vulpes, Tibetan fox Vulpes ferrilata) in Qilian Mountain National Park, China, using camera trapping data and DNA metabarcoding sequencing data. Our study showed that apex carnivore species had more overlap temporally (coefficients of interspecific overlap ranging from 0.661 to 0.900) or trophically (Pianka's index ranging from 0.458 to 0.892), mesocarnivore species had high dietary overlap with each other (Pianka's index ranging from 0.945 to 0.997), and apex carnivore and mesocarnivore species had high temporal overlap (coefficients of interspecific overlap ranging from 0.497 to 0.855). Large dietary overlap was observed between wolf and snow leopard (Pianka's index = 0.892) and Pallas's cat and Tibetan fox (Pianka's index = 0.997), suggesting the potential for increased resource competition for these species pairs. We concluded that spatial niche partitioning is likely to key driver in facilitating the coexistence of apex carnivore species, while spatial and temporal niche partitioning likely facilitate the coexistence of mesocarnivore species, and spatial and dietary niche partitioning facilitate the coexistence between apex and mesocarnivore species. Our findings consider partitioning across temporal, spatial, and dietary dimensions while examining diverse coexistence patterns of carnivore species in Qilian Mountain National Park, China. These findings will contribute substantially to current understanding of carnivore guilds and effective conservation management in fragile alpine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cong
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Li
- Institute of Ecological Conservation and Restoration, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Charlotte Hacker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Ye Li
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Lixiao Jin
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Diqiang Li
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Yadong Xue
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Yuguang Zhang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
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Peng D, Zhang Z, Chen J, Meng D, Liang Y, Hu T, Teng L, Liu Z. The Activity Patterns and Grouping Characteristics of the Remaining Goitered Gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa) in an Isolated Habitat of Western China. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2338. [PMID: 39199872 PMCID: PMC11350692 DOI: 10.3390/ani14162338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildlife activity patterns, which reveal the daily allocation of time and energy, are crucial for understanding survival pressures, adaptive strategies, and behavioral characteristics in different environments. Among ungulates, grouping behavior is a prevalent adaptive trait that reflects the population structure, mating systems, and life history strategies formed over long-term evolutionary processes. This study aimed to elucidate the daily activity patterns and grouping characteristics of the rare goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in the Helan Mountains of western China from 2022 to 2023 using camera trap monitoring. With a total of 3869 camera days of effective trapping, we recorded 442 independent detections of goitered gazelles. The results revealed the following: (1) Goitered gazelle is primarily active during the day, showing an activity pattern similar to crepuscular animals, with two activity peaks occurring after dawn and before dusk. (2) Daily activity patterns showed both seasonal and sex differences. In the warm season, morning activity peaks occurred earlier, and afternoon peaks occurred later compared to the cold season. The overlap in daily activity patterns between females and males in the warm season was lower than that in the cold season, and this trend persisted throughout the year. (3) The number of times different types of groups were observed varied significantly, with single males and single females accounting for a larger proportion of all observed groups. There was no significant difference in group size across seasons, with groups typically consisting of 1-2 individuals. Our study provides detailed insights into the temporal ecology and population structure of goitered gazelles in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. This information will guide the identification of future conservation priorities and the development of management plans for the reserve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dezhi Peng
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (D.P.); (Z.Z.); (J.C.); (D.M.)
| | - Zhirong Zhang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (D.P.); (Z.Z.); (J.C.); (D.M.)
| | - Junda Chen
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (D.P.); (Z.Z.); (J.C.); (D.M.)
| | - Dehuai Meng
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (D.P.); (Z.Z.); (J.C.); (D.M.)
| | - Yongliang Liang
- Helan Mountains National Nature Reserve Management Bureau of Ningxia, Yinchuan 750014, China; (Y.L.); (T.H.)
| | - Tianhua Hu
- Helan Mountains National Nature Reserve Management Bureau of Ningxia, Yinchuan 750014, China; (Y.L.); (T.H.)
| | - Liwei Teng
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (D.P.); (Z.Z.); (J.C.); (D.M.)
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Zhensheng Liu
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (D.P.); (Z.Z.); (J.C.); (D.M.)
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Harbin 150040, China
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Wang JF, Xu K, Yao S, Liu T, Yu B, Huang XQ, Xiao ZS, Xia DP. Temporal niche partitioning among sympatric wild and domestic ungulates between warm and cold seasons. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10570. [PMID: 38719931 PMCID: PMC11079061 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61463-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The coexistence of sympatric species with similar ecological niches has been a central issue in ecology. Clarifying the daily activity patterns of sympatric wild ungulates can help understand their temporal niche differentiation and the mechanisms of coexistence, providing information for their conservation. The Baotianman National Nature Reserve in northern China is rich in wild ungulates, but little is known about the daily activity patterns of wild ungulates in the area, making it difficult to develop effective conservation strategies. We studied five representative wild ungulates (i.e. forest musk deer, Chinese goral, Reeve's muntjac, Siberian roe deer, and wild boar) of the region using camera-trapping data, focusing on the seasonal daily activity patterns and effects of seasonal grazing of domestic sheep, to reveal their coexistence based on temporal ecological niche differentiation. Comparative analyses of the seasonal daily activity showed that forest musk deer exhibited a single-peak activity in the warm season. Other ungulates exhibited multipeak activity. All five ungulates differed significantly in daily activity patterns. Notably, wild boar and Reeve's muntjac showed high overlap coefficients between the cold and warm seasons. In both cold and warm seasons, the five wild ungulates and domestic sheep displayed low overlap in their daily activity rhythms potentially indicating temporal ecological niche differentiation. The results suggest that temporal isolation might be a strategy for wild ungulates to avoid domestic sheep and reduce interspecific competition, and that temporal ecological niche differentiation potentially promoted the coexistence among the studied sympatric ungulates. This understanding may provide new insights for the development of targeted conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Feng Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, 230601, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Kai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101407, China
| | - Song Yao
- Neixiang Management Bureau of Baotianman National Nature Reserve, Neixiang, 474350, Henan, China
| | - Tong Liu
- Neixiang Management Bureau of Baotianman National Nature Reserve, Neixiang, 474350, Henan, China
| | - Bo Yu
- Neixiang Management Bureau of Baotianman National Nature Reserve, Neixiang, 474350, Henan, China
| | - Xiao-Qun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhi-Shu Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Dong-Po Xia
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China.
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei, 230601, China.
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Jia J, Fang Y, Li X, Song K, Xie W, Bu C, Sun Y. Temporal Activity Patterns of Sympatric Species in the Temperate Coniferous Forests of the Eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071129. [PMID: 37048385 PMCID: PMC10093433 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporal niche partitioning is an important strategy for sympatric species or populations when utilizing limited resources while minimizing competition. Different resource availability across seasons may also influence the intensity of competition, resulting in a varied temporal niche partitioning pattern between species. These competitive interactions are important drivers for the formation of biodiversity patterns and species coexistence on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. To clarify these interspecies relationships among sympatric species, we carried out a camera trap survey from 2017 to 2020. We deployed 60 camera traps in the temperate coniferous forests of the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We analyzed the daily activity patterns of birds and mammals to reveal the temporal niches and seasonal relationships among the species-specific activity rhythms. The results are summarized as follows: (1) Eight major species, including mammals and birds, have different temporal peak activity rhythms to reduce intense competition for resources. (2) The activity rhythm of a species varies seasonally, and the competition among species is more intense in the warm season than in the cold season. (3) Among 15 pairs of competitor species, seven pairs had significantly different coefficients, with higher winter values than summer values, perhaps due to the abundance of resources in summer and the scarcity of resources in winter causing intensified competition. Among the predators and prey, the summertime coefficients were higher than those in winter, perhaps due to the need to replenish energy during the summer breeding season. The main purpose of animals in winter is to survive the harsh environment. Our results provide important information on temporal and interspecies relationships and contribute to a better understanding of species-coexistence mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Jia
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yun Fang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xinhai Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kai Song
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wendong Xie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Changli Bu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuehua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Correspondence:
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Moheb Z, Nelson MF, Ostrowski S, Zahler PI, Bowlick FJ, Fuller TK. Factors influencing the diurnal spring distribution of sympatric urial and Siberian ibex in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Wakhan National Park, Afghanistan. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
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Garabedian JE, Cox KJ, Vukovich M, Kilgo JC. Co‐occurrence of native white‐tailed deer and invasive wild pigs: Evidence for competition? Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James E. Garabedian
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station New Ellenton South Carolina USA
| | - Kyle J. Cox
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station New Ellenton South Carolina USA
| | - Mark Vukovich
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station New Ellenton South Carolina USA
| | - John C. Kilgo
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station New Ellenton South Carolina USA
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Li J, Li D, Dong W. Coexistence patterns of sympatric giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) in Changqing National Nature Reserve, China. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2023.1029447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Similar species may co-occur in sympatry because of the partitioning of habitat use and resources at different spatial and temporal scales. Understanding coexistence patterns of species may contribute to further uncovering the underlying coexistence mechanisms, and ultimately benefit the conservation of threatened species. In this study, camera trapping was used to investigate spatial and temporal activity patterns of sympatric giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) in Changqing National Nature Reserve in Qinling Mountains, China. Our study obtained 281 independent detections of giant pandas and 185 of Asiatic black bears during 93,606 camera-trap days from April 2014 to October 2017. We performed occupancy modeling and temporal overlap analyses to examine the spatial-temporal relationships between pandas and bears, and results showed that: (1) giant pandas had higher detection probabilities than Asiatic black bears, while having lower occupancy probabilities; (2) Elevation positively predicted giant panda and negatively predicted Asiatic black bear occupancy, understory vegetation type negatively predicted giant panda occupancy, and distance to nearest settlement positively predicted Asiatic black bear occupancy; (3) giant pandas were more active in spring and winter, while Asiatic black bears were more active in summer, and the two species had low spatial overlap with one another throughout the year; (4) both giant pandas and Asiatic black bears showed mainly diurnal activity patterns, and had high temporal overlap with one another in spring and moderate temporal overlap with one another in autumn. Our results provide detailed information of the spatial and temporal ecology of sympatric giant pandas and Asiatic black bears in the Qinling Mountains of China, which could act as a guide to construct conservation priorities as well as design efficient management programs.
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Watabe R, Saito MU. Winter weather conditions result in temporal niche overlap among three sympatric medium-sized carnivores in northeastern Japan. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03271-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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You Z, Lu B, Du B, Liu W, Jiang Y, Ruan G, Yang N. Spatio-Temporal Niche of Sympatric Tufted Deer ( Elaphodus cephalophus) and Sambar ( Rusa unicolor) Based on Camera Traps in the Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve, China. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12192694. [PMID: 36230435 PMCID: PMC9559643 DOI: 10.3390/ani12192694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The broad adoption of camera traps in wildlife monitoring leads to a better understanding of the distribution and activity patterns of wild animals. In this study, two endangered wild animals distributed in the Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve, the tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus) and sambar (Rusa unicolor), were investigated for habitat suitability and rhythm activity patterns based on 9-year (2012–2021) camera-trap data. The results revealed that the suitable range of the major environmental factors and the distribution range of tufted deer in the reserve were greater than those of sambar. The daily activity peaks in tufted deer and sambar were both at dusk and dawn, but sambar stayed active during the evening. Abstract Clarifying the distribution pattern and overlapping relationship of sympatric relative species in the spatio-temporal niche is of great significance to the basic theory of community ecology and integrated management of multi-species habitats in the same landscape. In this study, based on a 9-year dataset (2012–2021) from 493 camera-trap sites in the Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve, we analyzed the habitat distributions and activity patterns of tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus) and sambar (Rusa unicolor). (1) Combined with 235 and 153 valid presence sites of tufted deer and sambar, the MaxEnt model was used to analyze the distribution of the two species based on 11 ecological factors. The distribution areas of the two species were 1038.40 km2 and 692.67 km2, respectively, with an overlapping area of 656.67 km2. Additionally, the overlap indexes Schoener’s D (D) and Hellinger’s-based I (I) were 0.703 and 0.930, respectively. (2) Based on 10,437 and 5203 independent captures of tufted deer and sambar, their daily activity rhythms were calculated by using the kernel density estimation. The results showed that the daily activity peak in the two species appeared at dawn and dusk; however, the activity peak in tufted deer at dawn and dusk was later and earlier than sambar, respectively. Our findings revealed the spatio-temporal niche relationship between tufted deer and sambar, contributing to a further understanding of the coexistence mechanism and providing scientific information for effective wild animal conservation in the reserve and other areas in the southeastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan You
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Bigeng Lu
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Beibei Du
- Zoololical Society of Sichuan Province, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Wei Liu
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve Adiministration Bureau, Kangding 626000, China
| | - Guangfa Ruan
- Gongga Mountain National Nature Reserve Adiministration Bureau, Kangding 626000, China
| | - Nan Yang
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.:+86-13880967992
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