scholarly journals Trophic niche overlap between coyotes and gray foxes in a temperate forest in Durango, Mexico

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0260325
Author(s):  
César Ricardo Rodríguez-Luna ◽  
Jorge Servín ◽  
David Valenzuela-Galván ◽  
Rurik List
Keyword(s):  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Competitive Interactions ◽  
Large Species ◽  
Wild Mammals ◽  
Gray Fox ◽  
Trophic Diversity ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Canid Species

Resource partitioning, and especially dietary partitioning, is a mechanism that has been studied for several canid species as a means to understand competitive relationships and the ability of these species to coexist. Coyotes (Canis latrans) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are two canid species that are widely distributed, in Mexico, and they are sympatric throughout most of their distribution range. However, trophic dynamic and overlap between them have not been thoroughly studied. In order to better understand their ecological relationship and potential competitive interactions, we studied the trophic niche overlap between both canids in a temperate forest of Durango, Mexico. The results are based on the analysis of 540 coyote and 307 gray fox feces collected in 2018. Both species consumed a similar range of food items, but the coyote consumed large species while the gray fox did not. For both species, the most frequently consumed food categories throughout the year and seasonally were fruit and wild mammals (mainly rodents and lagomorphs). Coyotes had higher trophic diversity in their annual diet (H’ = 2.33) than gray foxes (H’ = 1.80). When analyzing diets by season, trophic diversity of both species was higher in winter and spring and tended to decrease in summer and autumn. When comparing between species, this parameter differed significantly during all seasons except for summer. Trophic overlap throughout the year was high (R0 = 0.934), with seasonal variation between R0 = 0.821 (autumn) and R0 = 0.945 (spring). Both species based their diet on the most available food items throughout each season of the year, having high dietary overlap which likely can lead to intense exploitative competition processes. However, differences in trophic diversity caused by differential prey use can mitigate competitive interactions, allowing these different sized canid species to coexist in the study area.

scholarly journals Chironomidae larvae (Diptera) of Neotropical floodplain: overlap niche in different habitats

2014 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
CMM. Butakka ◽  
FH. Ragonha ◽  
AM. Takeda
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Alimentary Canal ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Trophic Groups ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Trophic Networks ◽  
Chironomidae Larvae ◽  
Neotropical Floodplain

The niche overlap between trophic groups of Chironomidae larvae in different habitats was observed between trophic groups and between different environments in Neotropical floodplain. For the evaluation we used the index of niche overlap (CXY) and analysis of trophic networks, both from the types and amount of food items identified in the larval alimentary canal. In all environments, the larvae fed on mainly organic matter such as plants fragments and algae, but there were many omnivore larvae. Species that have high values of food items occurred in diverse environments as generalists with great overlap niche and those with a low amount of food items with less overlap niche were classified as specialists. The largest number of trophic niche overlap was observed among collector-gatherers in connected floodplain lakes. The lower values of index niche overlap were predators. The similarity in the diet of different taxa in the same niche does not necessarily imply competition between them, but coexistence when the food resource is not scarce in the environment even in partially overlapping niches.

scholarly journals Diet and reproductive aspects of the exotic gecko gehyra mutilata (Wiegmann, 1834) (Sauria: Gekkonidae) in the urban area of Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis Barragán-Ramírez ◽  
Omar Eduardo Reyes-Luis ◽  
José De Jesús Ascencio-Arrayga ◽  
José Luis Navarrete-Heredia ◽  
Miguel Vásquez-Bolaños
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Diet Diversity ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Mean Width ◽  
Nesting Site ◽  
The Mean

We studied the diet and described some reproductiveaspects (body size, clutch size, size and egg volume, and nesting site) of the exotic gecko Gehyra mutilata in the urban area from Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico, during a period of nine months (April-December, 2013). A total of 113 adult individuals were captured, where 101 revealed to have stomach contents. We found a total of 1,563 food items, which were identified and grouped into 13 prey categories: Araneae, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Diptera, Gastropoda, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera: Formicidae and Non-Formicidae, Isopoda, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Squamata (Gekkonidae) and Trichoptera. Diptera (Nematocera) was the most important food category in abundance (91.6%), relative frequency (34.2%), volume (68.8%), and relative importance (94.8%). Other uncountable food items as plant material and eggshell remains were present in the diet. The number of prey per stomach were between 1 to 140, with a mean of 15.5 ± 25.56, the prey volume mean was 0.29 ± 0.76 ml, with a range of <0.01 – 2.90 ml. Males had fewerprey items in their stomachs than females, but no significant differences were found between sexes. Diet diversity (1D) between males and females was evaluated, which was similar with almost two effective food categories for both sexes. The trophic niche overlap between sexes showed a high numeric and volumetric similarity in their diet. Snout-vent length did not significantly differ between males and adult females. The mean clutch size was 2 eggs, even though the nesting site can be composed of larger egg clusters. The nesting sites consisted on holes, crevices and inside electric installations on building walls. The mean egg length was 10.47 ± 0.541, with a mean width of 8.40 ± 0.256, while the mean volume was 387.92 ± 43.297 mm3. The present study suggests that the opportunist habits of G. mutilata are a determinant factor on its diet composition within the urban area of Chapala. 

scholarly journals The food web in a subterranean ecosystem is driven by intraguild predation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Parimuchová ◽  
Lenka Petráková Dušátková ◽  
Ľubomír Kováč ◽  
Táňa Macháčková ◽  
Ondřej Slabý ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Trophic Interactions ◽  
Intraguild Predation ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
High Availability ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Arthropod Predators ◽  
Body Sizes

AbstractTrophic interactions of cave arthropods have been understudied. We used molecular methods (NGS) to decipher the food web in the subterranean ecosystem of the Ardovská Cave (Western Carpathians, Slovakia). We collected five arthropod predators of the species Parasitus loricatus (gamasid mites), Eukoenenia spelaea (palpigrades), Quedius mesomelinus (beetles), and Porrhomma profundum and Centromerus cavernarum (both spiders) and prey belonging to several orders. Various arthropod orders were exploited as prey, and trophic interactions differed among the predators. Linear models were used to compare absolute and relative prey body sizes among the predators. Quedius exploited relatively small prey, while Eukoenenia and Parasitus fed on relatively large prey. Exploitation of eggs or cadavers is discussed. In contrast to previous studies, Eukoenenia was found to be carnivorous. A high proportion of intraguild predation was found in all predators. Intraspecific consumption (most likely cannibalism) was detected only in mites and beetles. Using Pianka’s index, the highest trophic niche overlaps were found between Porrhomma and Parasitus and between Centromerus and Eukoenenia, while the lowest niche overlap was found between Parasitus and Quedius. Contrary to what we expected, the high availability of Diptera and Isopoda as a potential prey in the studied system was not corroborated. Our work demonstrates that intraguild diet plays an important role in predators occupying subterranean ecosystems.

Trophic niche overlap between native freshwater mussels (Order: Unionida) and the invasive Corbicula fluminea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Modesto ◽  
Ester Dias ◽  
Martina Ilarri ◽  
Manuel Lopes‐Lima ◽  
Amílcar Teixeira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Freshwater Mussels ◽  
Corbicula Fluminea ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche

scholarly journals Ecology of colonizing populations of the figfly Zaprionus indianus (Diptera, Drosophilidae) in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil

2005 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norma Machado da Silva ◽  
Carina da Conceição Fantinel ◽  
Vera Lucia da Silva Valente ◽  
Vitor Hugo Valiati
Keyword(s):  
Niche Breadth ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Survival Strategies ◽  
Porto Alegre ◽  
Zaprionus Indianus ◽  
Feeding Sites ◽  
Substrate Choice ◽  
Oviposition Substrate ◽  
Feeding Substrate

Ecological parameters such as trophic niche overlap and niche breadth were computed from the frequency of all drosophilid species collected in 2001 and 2002, in the urban area of Porto Alegre city, Brazil. Independently of place, drosophilids community composition and components breeding or feeding sites, the highest frequencies of Zaprionus indianus (Gupta, 1970) were obtained during seasons with higher average temperatures, especially during summer. From a total of the 19,146 individuals of Z. indianus sampled, 80% were found in this season. The data of trophic niche breadth suggest a higher opportunism of adult flies in feeding substrate use, but the females are still selective in oviposition substrate choice. For the values of niche overlap, only for some species, did we find any correlation between these and species richness and/or number of resources, and the most of the correlation values considering breeding and feeding sites were positive. The colonization of Z. indianus in Porto Alegre could be leading to adjustments in the survival strategies of the resident species, but it is possible that many species have conditions for coexisting with the invader.

scholarly journals Trophic ecology of sea urchins in coral-rocky reef systems, Ecuador

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Cabanillas-Terán ◽  
Peggy Loor-Andrade ◽  
Ruber Rodríguez-Barreras ◽  
Jorge Cortés
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Trophic Overlap

Sea urchins are important grazers and influence reef development in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP).Diadema mexicanumandEucidaris thouarsiiare the most important sea urchins on the Ecuadorian coastal reefs. This study provided a trophic scenario for these two species of echinoids in the coral-rocky reef bottoms of the Ecuadorian coast, using stable isotopes. We evaluated the relative proportion of algal resources assimilated, and trophic niche of the two sea urchins in the most southern coral-rocky reefs of the ETP in two sites with different disturbance level. Bayesian models were used to estimate the contribution of algal sources, niche breadth, and trophic overlap between the two species. The sea urchins behaved as opportunistic feeders, although they showed differential resource assimilation.Eucidaris thouarsiiis the dominant species in disturbed environments; likewise, their niche amplitude was broader than that ofD. mexicanumwhen conditions were not optimal. However, there was no niche overlap between the species. The Stable Isotope Analysis in R (SIAR) indicated that both sea urchins shared limiting resources in the disturbed area, mainlyDictyotaspp. (contributions of up to 85% forD. mexicanumand up to 75% forE. thouarsii). The Stable Isotope Bayesian Ellipses in R (SIBER) analysis results indicated less interspecific competition in the undisturbed site. Our results suggested a trophic niche partitioning between sympatric sea urchin species in coastal areas of the ETP, but the limitation of resources could lead to trophic overlap and stronger habitat degradation.

Assessing the diet and trophic niche breadth of an omnivorous fish (Glanidium ribeiroi) in subtropical lotic environments: intraspecific and ontogenic responses to spatial variations

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. C. K. Kliemann ◽  
M. C. Baldasso ◽  
S. F. R. Pini ◽  
M. C. Makrakis ◽  
S. Makrakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Niche Breadth ◽  
Intraspecific Variability ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Main Channel ◽  
Size Classes ◽  
Intraspecific Variations ◽  
Environmental Variations

The diet of Glanidium ribeiroi was investigated in lotic stretches downstream from a cascade of reservoirs to determine how it responds to intraspecific and environmental variations. Monthly sampling was performed from 2013 to 2016 at sites including the main channel of the Iguaçu River and tributaries in preserved basins and agricultural land. The diet of individuals in the preserved tributaries was primarily associated with allochthonous resources, whereas in the non-preserved tributaries and main channel the diets were primarily associated with autochthonous resources. Trophic niche breadth and intraspecific variability differed significantly among sampling areas and size classes. Trophic niche overlap among size classes and sampling areas was low. Positive and negative relationships between the trophic niche breadth and the standard length of individuals were also found in different sampling areas. Intraspecific and ontogenic variations were strongly and consistently associated with forest cover. Individuals responded differently to local environmental variations due to differences in landscape gradients and life cycle changes. Therefore, the effects of spatial heterogeneity on diet composition and intraspecific variations therein appear to be crucial to the success of the populations evaluated. These results may help with the implementation of conservation measures for this and other endemic species.

scholarly journals Nymphal feeding habits of two Anacroneuria species (Plecoptera, Perlidae) from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia

2018 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yesely M. Hurtado ◽  
Cesar E. Tamaris-Turizo ◽  
Manuel J. López Rodriguez ◽  
J. Manuel Tierno de Figueroa
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Trophic Resources ◽  
Tropical Areas ◽  
Dry Seasons

The knowledge of the diet of aquatic insects is important to assess the use of resources and overlap of trophic niche between species, as well as to understand their role in the food web of the freshwater ecosystems they inhabit. This is particularly necessary in tropical areas where information on this topic is scarce. The aim of the present work is to describe the feeding habits of the species Anacroneuria marta Zúñiga and Stark, 2002 and Anacroneuria caraca Stark, 1995 in the middle section of the Gaira River (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia). We performed three samplings during the rainy and dry seasons in the two main different microhabitats of the reach (leaf packs and gravel) in 2014. The diet of a total of 87 and 90 individuals of A. caraca and A. marta, respectively, was studied. With this information, niche breadth for each species and niche overlap between them in terms of trophic resources were calculated. The main trophic resource for both species in the dry and rainy season was the animal matter. In the dry season, FPOM was also important in the diet of A. caraca, and A. marta ingested a great quantity of CPOM in the rainy season. Larvae of Trichoptera, were the most ingested prey in both species, followed by Chironomidae, Coleoptera Hydrophilidae, and Ephemeroptera. No differences in diet between both species were detected, so this could favor the niche overlap in terms of trophic resources and could lead to competition between them. The possible ecological scenarios are discussed.

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