Body size as an important factor determining trophic niche partitioning in three syntopic rhinolophid bat species

Biologia ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Andreas ◽  
Antonín Reiter ◽  
Eva Cepáková ◽  
Marcel Uhrin
Keyword(s):  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Niche Partitioning ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Prey Category ◽  
Faecal Pellets ◽  
Preferred Habitat ◽  
Stable Species ◽  
Percentage Volume ◽  
Body Sizes

AbstractWe investigated a community of syntopically occurring horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus hipposideros, R. euryale, R. ferrumequinum) in southern Slovakia. The faecal pellets of these bat species were collected in the field and later analysed under a dissecting microscope. The three species studied are known to be very similar as far as their ecology, echolocation and preferred habitats are concerned, but they diverge significantly in their body sizes. In this study, all three species fed predominantly on moths [59–80 percentage frequency (%f); 87–95 percentage volume (%vol)], but their diet compositions differed in the size of individuals consumed. The smallest bat species (R. hipposideros) fed only on the smallest moths (%f = 59; %vol = 87), the medium-sized species (R. euryale) mainly on medium-sized moths (%f = 60; %vol = 74) and the largest one (R. ferrumequinum) especially on the largest moths (%f = 54; %vol = 89). Despite similar preferred habitat and the main prey category, the rates of trophic niche overlap were surprisingly low. The trophic niche percentage overlap was 7–31% (computed from %f data) and 1–20% (computed from %vol data), respectively and suggests an extraordinary importance of mere divergences of bats in their body sizes for trophic niche partitioning and stable species coexistence.

Trophic niche overlap in two syntopic colubrid snakes (Hierophis viridiflavus and Zamenis longissimus) with contrasted lifestyles

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hervé Lelièvre ◽  
Pierre Legagneux ◽  
Gabriel Blouin-Demers ◽  
Xavier Bonnet ◽  
Olivier Lourdais
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Feeding Rate ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Niche Partitioning ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Mean Body Temperature

In many organisms, including snakes, trophic niche partitioning is an important mechanism promoting species coexistence. In ectotherms, feeding strategies are also influenced by lifestyle and thermoregulatory requirements: active foragers tend to maintain high body temperatures, expend more energy, and thus necessitate higher energy income. We studied diet composition and trophic niche overlap in two south European snakes (Hierophis viridiflavus and Zamenis longissimus) in the northern part of their range. The two species exhibit contrasted thermal adaptations, one being highly mobile and thermophilic (H. viridiflavus) and the other being elusive with low thermal needs (Z. longissimus). We analyzed feeding rate (proportion of snakes with indication of a recent meal) and examined more than 300 food items (fecal pellets and stomach contents) in 147 Z. longissimus and 167 H. viridiflavus. There was noticeable overlap in diet (overlap of Z. longissimus on H. viridiflavus = 0.62; overlap of H. viridiflavus on Z. longissimus = 0.80), but the similarity analyses showed some divergence in diet composition. Dietary spectrum was wider in H. viridiflavus, which fed on various mammals, birds, reptiles, and arthropods whereas Z. longissimus was more specialized on mammals and birds. The more generalist nature of H. viridiflavus was consistent with its higher energy requirements. In contrast to our expectation, feeding rate was apparently higher in Z. longissimus than in H. viridiflavus, but this could be an artifact of a longer transit time in Z. longissimus, given its lower mean body temperature. These results allow a better understanding of the ability to coexist in snakes belonging to temperate climate colubrid communities.

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.

scholarly journals Seasonal habitat and length influence on the trophic niche of co-occurring tropical tunas in the eastern Atlantic Ocean

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fany Sardenne ◽  
N’Guessan Constance Diaha ◽  
Monin Justin Amandé ◽  
Iker Zudaire ◽  
Lydie I.E. Couturier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Position ◽  
Niche Partitioning ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Top Predators ◽  
Thunnus Obesus ◽  
Eastern Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Tropical Tuna

In the Gulf of Guinea, bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus; BET) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares; YFT) are an important part of commercial fisheries and play a prominent ecological role as top predators. Using fatty acid profiles and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, we examined their trophic niche partitioning in this understudied region. Trophic niche overlap was high (>70%), similar to percentages in other ocean basins. BET occupied a higher trophic position than YFT and fed on deeper prey (high δ15N values and high proportions of monounsaturated fatty acids). The trophic position of YFT decreased slightly in the last 15 years (δ15N values decreased by ∼0.5‰), suggesting a change in epipelagic communities, as observed in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Ontogenic changes were limited to BET. For both species, the dietary proportion of the diatom marker 20:5(n-3) increased in the seasonal upwelling area, highlighting the influence of seasonal habitat on the diet of tuna. The relatively lipid-rich muscle (∼6% dry mass) of Atlantic tropical tuna suggests a richer diet in this region than that of Indian Ocean tropical tuna and (or) differences in energy allocation strategies.

Composition and structure of a snake assemblage in an altered tropical forest-plantation mosaic in Bangladesh

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahriar Caesar Rahman ◽  
S.M.A. Rashid ◽  
Kanai Das ◽  
Luca Luiselli
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Niche Partitioning ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Forest Plantation ◽  
Habitat Niche ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Species Being ◽  
Subterranean Species

Despite the growing trends in quantitative field studies on tropical snake assemblages around the world, Asian tropical snake assemblages have remained less profoundly studied. A snake assemblage in an altered tropical forest-plantation mosaic in Bangladesh was studied for six months. Data were collected on the species composition and their relative frequency of occurrence. On the basis of these data, some major patterns highlighted by earlier studies on tropical snake ecology were tested. More specifically, we tested, the existence of: (1) non-random habitat niche partitioning, (2) the energetic equivalence rule, and (3) different mean body sizes among snake guilds, with distinctly smaller body sizes being expected among the subterranean species. A total of 374 specimens belonging to 34 different species were collected. High mean habitat niche overlap among species was observed, and there was no apparent non-random niche partitioning by snakes either considering all species together or dividing them by guild. The ‘energetic equivalence rule’ was verified, with larger species being less abundant than smaller species. Body sizes differed significantly across species’ habits, with subterranean species being not only significantly smaller but also revealing the least interspecific variation, and terrestrial/arboreal species showing the greatest interspecific variation. Overall, tropical Asian snake assemblages seem to be similar to tropical African snake assemblages in terms of their general organization.

scholarly journals Autecology of the lizard Colobosauroides cearensis (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Brazilian semiarid Caatinga

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-223
Author(s):  
Aldenir Ferreira da Silva Neta ◽  
Cicera Silvilene Leite Matias ◽  
Robson Waldemar Ávila
Keyword(s):  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Prey Category ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Brazilian Semiarid ◽  
History Of ◽  
Gravid Females ◽  
Average Body

Autecology of the lizard Colobosauroides cearensis (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Brazilian semiarid Caatinga. Colobosauroides cearensis is a diurnal lizard with a relictual distribution associated with forested habitats in the Brazilian Caatinga Domain. Knowledge of the natural history of this secretive lizard is scarce. Herein, the diet, reproduction, sexual dimorphism, microhabitat use, and thermal ecology of C. cearensis are described based on feldwork in 2015–2017 in the state of Ceará, Brazil. The diet of the lizards is composed exclusively of arthropods, with Formicidae being the most important prey category. Numerical and volumetric niche breadths are 5.52 and 9.2 respectively, and trophic niche overlap between females and males is 0.3. Males are distinguished from females by the larger size of the males and the presence of femoral pores. Colobosauroides cearensis is cryptozoic, inhabiting the leaf litter and having no direct contact with the soil or solar radiation. The average body temperature of the lizards is 30.4 ± 3.3°C, which is positively correlated with the air temperature. Gravid females with fxed clutch size of two eggs are found in early rainy season. Oviposition occurs between April and May (when the highest number of juveniles are observed). Sexual maturity occurs early in males and testicular volume is signifcantly correlated with body size.

scholarly journals Microhabitat use, daily activity pattern and diet of Liolaemus etheridgei Laurent, 1998 (Reptilia: Liolaemidae) in the Andean Polylepis forests of Arequipa, Peru

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irbin Llanqui ◽  
Bryn Edwards ◽  
Evaristo Lopez
Keyword(s):  
Activity Pattern ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Negative Selection ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Prey Category ◽  
Daily Activity Pattern ◽  
Selection For

This study compared the microhabitat use, daily activity pattern and diet of Liolaemus etheridgei Laurent 1998 in two Polylepis woodlands: El Simbral (fragmented) and Tuctumpaya (unfragmented), in Arequipa, Southern Peru. In both populations, we did not detect positive selection for any microhabitat; however, the population at El Simbral showed a negative selection for Polylepys trees while the Tuctumpaya population showed negative selection for Polylepis trees and non-thorny bushes. In El Simbral, active individuals were detected between 9:00 and 15:59h, whereas in Tuctumpaya, we detected active individuals from 8:00 to 17:59h. In both populations, observations of active individuals dropped between 11:00 and 11:59h. We recorded 17 and 23 prey categories in the El Simbral and Tuctumpaya populations respectively. The most important animal prey category in each population was found to be Lygaeidae: Hemiptera, and was the only animal prey category that was selected for in El Simbral and Tuctumpaya. In addition, due to the proportions of plant material found, the El Simbral was found to be omnivorous, whereas the Tuctumpaya population was herbivorous. Trophic niche breadth was broader in Tuctumpaya (B_a= 0.202) than the El Simbral (B_a= 0.147) population, despite there being no significant differences in diet (Permanova: F = 1.036, P = 0.409, permutations = 9999), which is coherent with the high value of trophic niche overlap (O_(j,k) = 0.963). Our compiled data reveal that L. etheridgei shows no selection for any of the resources we define in Polylepis woodlands, on the contrary, it selects negatively against Polylepis trees and non-thorny bushes. The daily activity patterns indicate a bimodal pattern with peaks at 9:00-10:59 and 13:00-13:59 h. The diet of L. etheridgei consists mainly of plants (%W: 66.373), and the most important animal prey category is Lygaeidae: Hemiptera (%IRI = 55.3), which is selected positively.

scholarly journals Human disturbance increases trophic niche overlap in terrestrial carnivore communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (43) ◽  
pp. 26842-26848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip J. Manlick ◽  
Jonathan N. Pauli
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Niche Partitioning ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Resource Consumption ◽  
Apex Predators ◽  
Biological Organization ◽  
Food Subsidies ◽  
The Impact

Animal foraging and competition are defined by the partitioning of three primary niche axes: space, time, and resources. Human disturbance is rapidly altering the spatial and temporal niches of animals, but the impact of humans on resource consumption and partitioning—arguably the most important niche axis—is poorly understood. We assessed resource consumption and trophic niche partitioning as a function of human disturbance at the individual, population, and community levels using stable isotope analysis of 684 carnivores from seven communities in North America. We detected significant responses to human disturbance at all three levels of biological organization: individual carnivores consumed more human food subsidies in disturbed landscapes, leading to significant increases in trophic niche width and trophic niche overlap among species ranging from mesocarnivores to apex predators. Trophic niche partitioning is the primary mechanism regulating coexistence in many communities, and our results indicate that humans fundamentally alter resource niches and competitive interactions among terrestrial consumers. Among carnivores, niche overlap can trigger interspecific competition and intraguild predation, while the consumption of human foods significantly increases human–carnivore conflict. Our results suggest that human disturbances, especially in the form of food subsidies, may threaten carnivores by increasing the probability of both interspecific competition and human–carnivore conflict. Ultimately, these findings illustrate a potential decoupling of predator–prey dynamics, with impacts likely cascading to populations, communities, and ecosystems.

Dietary overlap and food resource partitioning among fish species of a tropical estuary in Northeastern Brazil

Gaia Scientia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 86-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adna Ferreira da Silva Garcia ◽  
Ana Lúcia Vendel
Keyword(s):  
Resource Partitioning ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Dietary Overlap ◽  
Feeding Niche ◽  
Tropical Environments ◽  
Food Resource Partitioning

The current work investigates dietary overlap and food partitioning among nine abundant carnivorous fishes caught in the shallow waters of the Paraíba do Norte river estuary, Paraíba State, Brazil. Fishes were sampled with a beach seine net between January and December 2008 and a total of 958 specimens had their stomach content analyzed. Crustacea was the dominant food resource for Lutjanus alexandrei, L. jocu and Bathygobius soporator, whereas Telostei were consumed mainly by Centropomus undecimalis and C. parallelus. In contrast, Polychaeta were preyed upon mainly by Diapterus rhombeus, Eucinostomus argenteus, Sciades herzbergii and S. parkeri. Although most species consumed similar food items, they did that in varying proportions and amounts. Overall, the niche overlap among species was low (< 0.60), but there were several cases where pair of species had their feeding niche highly overlapped (between 0.72 and 0.97). These findings corroborate the hypothesis that food resource partitioning determines species coexistence in estuarine tropical environments.

scholarly journals Three-dimensional niche partitioning between two colonially nesting ardeid species in central China

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanxing Ye ◽  
Canshi Hu ◽  
Yiting Jiang ◽  
Geoffrey W. H. Davison ◽  
Changqing Ding
Keyword(s):  
Niche Partitioning ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Central China ◽  
Paddy Fields ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Wetland Birds ◽  
Cattle Egret ◽  
River Banks

Abstract Background Interspecific competition is known to be strongest between those species that are both closely related and sympatric. Egrets are colonially nesting wetland birds that often overlap and can therefore be expected to compete in roosting and nesting habitat as well as in diet. According to the niche partitioning hypothesis, it is to be expected that these similar species would show differentiation in at least one of the main niche dimensions to reduce competition. We tested niche partitioning between the colonially nesting Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) and Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) in temporal, spatial and trophic dimensions. Methods Field study was conducted in three mixed egret colonies in Yangxian County, southwest Shaanxi Province, central China. For each nest colony we recorded its spatial location, the height of nesting trees and of nests, the height of roosting trees and of roosting individuals within the trees. We determined the first egg-laying and first hatching dates of the two species. Craw dissection of storm-killed egret nestlings was used to measure the diet. Six transects were surveyed to study foraging habitat selection. Results We found that hatching time of Little Egrets peaked earlier (by about 1 month) than that of Cattle Egrets. Cattle Egrets nested and roosted higher than Little Egrets. The foraging habitats used by Little Egrets were dominated by river banks (73.49%), followed by paddy fields (13.25%) and reservoirs (10.84%), whereas Cattle Egret foraging sites were characterized by grasslands (44.44%), paddy fields (33.33%) and river banks (22.22%). Little Egrets consumed more fishes (65.66%) and Odonata larvae (13.69%) than Cattle Egrets, while Cattle Egrets were found feeding mainly on Coleoptera (29.69%) and Orthoptera (23.29%). Little Egrets preyed on larger mean biomasses of food items than Cattle Egrets. Conclusions Our results confirm the niche partitioning hypothesis as a mechanism for coexistence among ecologically similar species. In two coexisting egret species, niche partitioning is multidimensional, such that the two coexistent species occupy differing ecological space based on all three temporal, spatial and trophic niche dimensions.

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