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115 results for “Niche overlap”
Data from: Seasonal and anthropogenic effects on niche overlap and habitat selection by sympatric bears (Ursus arctos marsicanus) and wolves (Canis lupus) in a human-dominated landscape
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Isotopic niche overlap of four large pelagic predatory fish species in the northwest Atlantic ocean
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The past, present, and future of predator-prey interactions in a warming world: using species distribution modeling to forecast ectotherm-endotherm niche overlap
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Niche overlap in rodents increases with competition but not ecological opportunity: A role of inter-individual difference
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Effects of phylogenetic distance, niche overlap and habitat alteration on spatial co-occurrence patterns in Neotropical bats and birds
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How competitive intransitivity and niche overlap affect spatial coexistence
<p>Competitive intransitivity is mostly considered outside the main body of coexistence theories that rely primarily on the role of niche overlap and differentiation. How the interplay of competitive intransitivity and niche overlap jointly affects species coexistence has received little attention. Here, we consider a rock-paper-scissors competition system where interactions between species can represent the full spectra of transitive-intransitive continuum and niche overlap/differentiation under different levels of competition asymmetry. By comparing results from pair approximation that only considers interference competition between neighbouring cells in spatial lattices, with those under the mean-field assumption, we show that (1) species coexistence under transitive competition is only possible at high niche differentiation; (2) in communities with partial or pure intransitive interactions, high levels of niche overlap are not necessary to beget species extinction; and (3) strong spatial clustering can widen the condition for intransitive loops to facilitate species coexistence. The two mechanisms, competitive intransitivity and niche differentiation, can support species persistence and coexistence, either separately or in combination. Finally, the contribution of intransitive loops to species coexistence can be enhanced by strong local spatial correlations, modulated and maximised by moderate competition asymmetry. Our study, therefore, provides a bridge to link intransitive competition to other generic ecological theories of species coexistence.</p>
Spatial and temporal niche overlap of aardwolves and aardvarks in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
<p>Species interactions can influence species distributions, but mechanisms mitigating competition or facilitating positive interactions between ecologically similar species are often poorly understood. Aardwolves (<em>Proteles cristata</em>) and aardvarks (<em>Orycteropus afer</em>) are nocturnal, insectivorous mammals that co-occur in eastern and southern Africa, and knowledge of these species is largely limited to their nutritional biology. We used aardwolf and aardvark detections from 106 remote cameras during 2016–2018 to assess their spatial and temporal niche overlap in the grasslands of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Using a multispecies occupancy model, we identified a positive interaction between occupancy probabilities for aardwolves and aardvarks. Slope, proportion of grassland, and termite mound density did not affect occupancy probabilities of either species. Probability of aardwolf, but not aardvark, occupancy increased with distance to permanent water sources, which may relate to predation risk avoidance. Diel activity overlap between aardwolves and aardvarks was high during wet and dry seasons, with both species being largely nocturnal. Aardwolves and aardvarks have an important ecological role as termite consumers, and aardvarks are suggested to be ecosystem engineers. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the spatial and temporal niche of insectivores like aardwolves and aardvarks, suggesting high spatial and temporal niche overlap in which commensalism occur, whereby aardwolves benefit from aardvark presence through increased food accessibility.</p>
Data from: Trophic position and niche overlap of an Asian weatherfish (Misgurnus bipartitus), western tubenose goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris), and native benthic fish species
<p>The dataset belonging to the paper "Trophic position and niche overlap of an Asian weatherfish (<i>Misgurnus bipartitus</i>), western tubenose goby (<i>Proterorhinus semilunaris</i>), and native benthic fish species" published in Aquatic Invasions (paper in press; doi link will be added later), is provided here. The dataset consists of δ13C and δ15N (‰) stable isotope ratios of taxa of fish, macroinvertebrates, plants, alga, and soil. If applicable, the length of the taxon was included. Below, methodological information is provided on the study site, the sampling process, the sampling preparation, and the stable isotope analysis. For references, see the published paper in Aquatic Invasions.</p><p> </p><p><i>Study site</i></p><p>The study site concerned a section of the lowland brook Tungelroysebeek (51°14.38'N, 005°52.086'E – 51°14.26'N, 005°47.77'E) near the village Tungelroy in the Province of Limburg, the Netherlands. This brook of 35 km length has several tributaries before discharging into the River Meuse. Over most of its course, the brook was meandering and had a well-developed riparian and hydrophyte vegetation. During sampling the mean water temperature was 16.0 °C, conductivity 664 µS/cm, pH 7.3, water velocity 0.2 m/s, depth 70 cm, and Secchi depth 60 cm. The brook width ranged between 5-8 m and its bed substrate predominantly consisted of sand.</p><p> </p><p><i>Sampling</i></p><p>Samples of fish, macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, dead organic material, and bottom soil substrate were collected in October 2019. The samples were collected in the stretch of the brook that is denoted in Fig. 1 of the paper. Fish were caught using handheld electrofishing equipment (Bretschneider EFGI 650). After catching, the fish were euthanized using a neutralized benzocaine solution of 100 mg l-1. Macroinvertebrates were collected using 70x55 cm dip nets with a mesh size of 1 mm. Helophytes, floating-leaved, and submerged aquatic macrophytes were collected by hand. Soil samples were collected by means of a hollow soil sampling tube with a diameter of 5 cm. A Nikon SMZ800 stereo microscope with a 10-63 magnification was used for the identification of small macroinvertebrates.</p><p> </p><p><i>Sample preparation </i></p><p>All samples were transported to the laboratory and stored separately at -18° C until preparation. To obtain muscle samples a piece of 0.5-1 cm of the dorsal tissue of each fish was dissected. Muscle tissue samples were dissected from fish, crayfish, and unionid mussels. Other macroinvertebrates were stored alive for two days at 5 °C to empty their intestinal contents. Subsequently, these invertebrates were rinsed with tap water and then with demineralized water before processing. From unionid mussels, muscle tissue of a similar size was dissected. Of small mollusks, all soft body tissues were used. For small mollusks and other macroinvertebrates, individuals of the same species were pooled to obtain enough material (0.22-0.26 mg) for analyses. For crayfish, muscle tissue of the abdomen was used while the intestine was removed. The stems, leaves, and roots of individual plants were pooled. </p><p>After preparation, all samples were stored at -80 °C until freeze drying. Freeze drying was carried out at -90 °C for 24-48 hours for fish and macroinvertebrate samples. Plant, dead organic material, and soil samples were freeze dried at least 48 hours. After freeze drying, the samples were grounded with aluminum balls, for 2 min at 30 rpm, using a Retsch MM 400. Subsequently, the grounded samples were weighted in tin cups (Elemental Microanalysis 8 x 5 mm) and prepared for isotope analyses. For the fish and invertebrate samples, 0.22-0.26 mg was weighted. For plants and soil, separate samples were weighted for carbon (10 mg) and nitrogen (40 mg) analyzes. </p><p> </p><p><i>Stable isotope analyses</i></p><p>Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were measured using a Thermo Scientific FLASH 2000 HT Elemental Analyzer with a Thermo Scientific DELTA V Advantage Next Generation Isotope Ratio mass spectrometer. Reference gasses were calibrated with the IAEA standards (IAEA-N-2 and IAEA-CH-6), with a maximum deviation of 0.15‰. As an internal standard control, caffeine was used and the 13C/12C and 15N/14N of every sample were determined (in ‰). The isotope ratios (R) δ13C and δ15N are relative to Vienna PDB and atmospheric N2 and were calculated by:</p><p> </p><p>δ13C or δ15N = (Rsample/Rstandard − 1) * 1000</p><p> </p><p>Abstract </p><p>Co-occurring and morphologically similar species have adapted to differential niches for minimizing competition. An invasive alien species can occupy an 'empty niche' in introduced ranges. Alternatively, the invader may occupy an overlapping niche and compete with native species to a certain degree. In a Western European lowland brook with high nutrient loads, we studied a benthic community of five fish species, including two alien species: an Asian weatherfish (<i>Misgurnus bipartitus</i>) and the western tubenose goby (<i>Proterorhinus semilunaris</i>). The native species concerned stone loach (<i>Barbatula barbatula</i>), spined loach (<i>Cobitis taenia</i>), and gudgeon (<i>Gobio gobio</i>). Because of the unknown effects of the invaders on native benthic fish species, the trophic position, isotopic niche overlap, and potential food competition among these species were identified using nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes. The trophic levels of the five fish species indicated that they are secondary consumers. Body size of native fish species correlated significantly negative with their δ15N (‰) signature, in contrast with the invaders indicating that the latter are generalists. Significant isotopic niche overlap was observed among all benthic species. The degree of niche overlap of <i>M. bipartitus </i>was the highest (91.8%) with the <i>G. gobio</i>. <i>Proterorhinus semilunaris</i> had the highest degree of niche overlap (91.2%) with the (<i>B. barbatula</i>. It was notable that the observed niche overlap between the native <i>B. barbatula </i>and <i>C. taenia</i> was high (99.2%). Overlap between <i>M. bipartitus</i> and <i>P. semilunaris</i> was low (8.9% overlap), indicating little resource competition between these alien species. Native species showed wider isotopic niches than the invaders. Bayesian mixing models revealed that native and alien species slightly differ in their main diet. The results suggest that the invaders are plastic in their resource use, leading to niche differentiation and promoting co-existence of benthic fish species.</p>
Data from: revisiting niche divergence hypothesis in dimorphic birds: is diet overlap correlated with sexual size dimorphism?
<p>The evolution of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a long-standing topic in evolutionary biology, but there is little agreement on the extent to which SSD is driven by the different selective forces. While sexual selection and fecundity selection have traditionally been proposed as the two leading hypotheses, SSD may also result from natural selection through mechanisms such as sexual niche divergence, which might have reduced resource competition between sexes. Here, we revisited the niche divergence hypothesis by testing the relationship between the sexual overlap in diet and SSD of 56 bird species using phylogenetic comparative analyses. We then assessed how SSD variation relates to the three main hypotheses: sexual selection, fecundity selection, and sexual niche divergence using phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS). Then, we compared sexual selection, fecundity selection, and niche divergence selection as SSD drivers through phylogenetic confirmatory path analyses to disentangle the possible causal evolutionary relationships between SSD and the three hypotheses. Phylogenetic generalized least squares showed that SSD was negatively correlated with diet overlap, i. e., the greater the difference in body size between males and females, the less diet overlap. As predicted by sexual selection theory, the difference in body size between sexes was higher in polygynous species. Confirmatory phylogenetic path analyses suggested that the most likely evolutionary path might include mating system as a main driver in SSD and niche divergence as a result of SSD. We found no evidence of a role of fecundity selection in the evolution of female-biased SSD. Our study provides evidence that sexual selection has likely been the main cause of SSD and that dietary divergence is likely an indirect effect of SSD.</p>
Supplementary materials for "Modeling the geographical distributions of Chordodes formosanus and its mantis hosts in Taiwan, with considerations for their niche overlaps"
<p>Species distribution model (SDM) has conventionally been used for evaluating the<br> distribution of single species, but comparisons between different SDMs are possible for<br> evaluating the geographic similarity between taxa. Here we used a parasite and host system<br> to infer the geographic overlaps between species with tight biological interaction, e.g.<br> parasites and their obligate host; specifically, we used the horsehair worm <em>Chordodes<br> formosanus</em> and its three different mantis hosts to study the extent of niche overlap. We<br> retrieved presence points for the host species and the parasite and we built the SDMs with<br> MaxEnt implemented in ENMeval by using selected bioclim variables (based on VIF values)<br> at a 30 seconds scale. The models showed that the hosts and parasite do not occur in the high<br> elevation areas in Taiwan, which was expected based on their biology. Interestingly, the<br> predicted parasite distribution included areas without collection records, implying local<br> extinction or sampling bias. We subsequently evaluated niche overlap between hosts and the<br> parasite according to five similarity indices (Schoener’s D, I statistic, relative rank, Pearson<br> correlation coefficient and the rank correlation coefficient<em> rho</em>). Our models showed high<br> similarity of SDM predictions between hosts and the parasite. There were differences among<br> metrics about which host shared the highest similarity with the parasite, but the majority of<br> the results indicated that the Japanese boxing mantis has the highest niche similarity with the<br> horsehair worm. The choice of the niche overlap metric to use can be seen as a way to get<br> informations on the parasite’s ecology, which can be important for endangered species SDMs<br> are reliable tools for host and parasite conservation management and could help to improve<br> biological and ecological knowledge of parasites.</p>
Niche overlap between two large herbivores across landscape variability using dietary eDNA metabarcoding: Raw sequences of European bison and red deer – Bialowieza
<p><span>Understanding the trophic ecology of herbivore species is key to assess their environmental requirements and to improve management policies, but measuring their trophic interactions remains challenging. Among the methods available, quantifying the plant composition of a species' diet provides a detailed picture of how species exploit the resources in their environment and their associated niche overlap. Yet, most studies focusing on herbivore trophic ecology ignore the influence that landscape variability may have. Here, we studied how landscape variability influences trophic interactions through niche partitioning. We used eDNA metabarcoding to quantify the diet composition of two large herbivores of the Bialowieza Forest, red deer (<em>Cervus elaphus</em>) and European bison (<em>Bison bonasus</em>, hereafter referred to as bison) to investigate how increasing habitat quality and predation risk in their environment influence their diet composition and niche partitioning. We found red deer to have an overall greater diet variability and lower niche overlap within species compared to bison. Moreover, our findings indicate herbivore interactions are non-homogeneous across the landscape. Higher habitat quality was associated with higher niche overlap only within bison. We also detected an increase in niche overlap with increasing predation risk within red deer, indicating they modify their diet choice as a reaction to wolf predation risk. This study provides evidence of eDNA dietary metabarcoding as a useful tool for wildlife management to assess the status of species in an ecosystem based on known environmental factors. We suggest future studies to integrate the environments' variability when studying trophic ecology of herbivores to capture the whole extent of species interaction in order to improve conservation and management guidelines. </span></p>
Data from: Trees have overlapping potential niches that extend beyond their realized niches
<p>Tree species appear to prefer distinct climatic conditions, but the true nature of these preferences is obscured by species interactions and dispersal, which limit species' ranges. We quantified realized and potential thermal niches of 188 North American tree species to conduct the first continental-scale test of the architecture of niches. We found strong and consistent evidence that species occurring at thermal extremes occupy less than three-quarters of their potential niches and species' thermal niches overlap at a mean annual temperature of approximately 12 °C. These results clarify the breadth of thermal tolerances of temperate tree species and support the centrifugal organization of thermal niches. Accounting for the non-realized components of ecological niches will advance theory and prediction in global change ecology.</p>
Evolutionary history and precipitation seasonality shape niche overlap in Neotropical bat-plant pollination networks
<p>Species interactions are one dimension of the niche, and niche overlap arises when two species share an interaction partner. In pollination systems, environmental and biotic factors impact the niche overlap. Here we explored the effects of climate seasonality, plant and bat richness, morphological traits, and phylogenetic distance in shaping the niche overlap of Neotropical bat-plant pollination networks. For that, we used a dataset of 22 bat-plant pollination networks in the Neotropical region. We measured niche overlap in bats and plants with the Morisita-Horn index, ĈH, and then, we used a SAR model to test the relationships between niche overlap and the abiotic and biotic factors. We found a lower niche overlap among bats in communities composed of phylogenetically distant bat species. Moreover, plant and bat overlap were lower in regions with higher precipitation seasonality. Our results indicate that climate seasonality and bat evolutionary history drive niche overlap in Neotropical bat-plant pollination interactions. These findings suggest that a higher precipitation seasonality may promote the emergence of temporal modules reducing niche overlap, probably as a consequence of seasonal species phenologies. Furthermore, the method used to record the interactions impacts the degree of niche overlap. Interactions recorded with pollen samples tend to have higher niche overlap than direct observations. The uncoupled responses of morphological traits and phylogenetic distances in bat niche overlap suggest an effect of historical processes independently of the morphological traits. Our study reinforced the importance of evolutionary history and ecological processes in imprinting patterns of interaction niche overlap.</p>
Environmental niche overlap in sibling planktonic species calanus finmarchicus and c. glacialis in Arctic fjords
<p><span>Knowledge of the environmental preferences of the key planktonic species, such as Calanus copepods in the Arctic, is crucial to understand ecosystem function and its future under climate change. Here we assessed the environmental conditions influencing the development stages of Atlantic C. finmarchicus and Arctic C. glacialis, and quantified the extent to which their niches overlap by incorporating multiple environmental data. We based our analysis on a three-year seasonal collection of zooplankton by sediment traps, located on moorings in two contrasting Svalbard fjords: the Arctic Rijpfjorden, and the Atlantic-influenced Kongsfjorden. Despite large differences in water temperature between the fjords, local realized niches of the sibling Calanus species overlapped almost perfectly. The exception was the earliest copepodites of C. glacialis in Rijpfjorden, which probably utilized the local ice algal bloom in spring. However, during periods with no sea ice, like in Kongsfjorden, the siblings of both Calanus species showed high synchronization in the population structure. Interestingly, differences in temperature preferences of C. finmarchicus and C. glacialis were much higher between the studied fjords than between the species. Our analysis confirmed the high plasticity of Calanus copepods and their </span><span>abilities to adapt to highly variable environmental settings, not only on an interannual basis, but also </span><span>in a climate warming context</span><span>, indicating some resilience in the Calanus community.</span></p>
Data from: Isotopic niche overlap among foraging marine turtle species in the Gulf of Mexico
<p>R codes and corresponding dataset for "Isotopic niche overlap among foraging marine turtle species in the Gulf of Mexico" by Weber et al. for publication. </p> <p>The "MasterDB" dataset contains the bulk stable isotope data (C, N, S) for loggerhead, green, and Kemp's ridley turtles sampled off the coast of Crystal River, Florida from 2016 to 2022. The "SIA_Values" dataset presents the data in the appropriate format for the nicheRover R package. Both metadata .csv files contain all metadata necessary for interpretation. </p>
A trait-based approach to assess niche overlap and functional distinctiveness between non-indigenous and native species
<p><span>Our understanding of the community assembly processes acting on non-indigenous species (NIS), as well as the relationship with native species is limited, especially in marine ecosystems. To overcome this knowledge gap we here develop a trait-based approach based on the functional distinctiveness metric to assess niche overlap between NIS and native species, using high-resolution data on benthic invertebrate communities in the Baltic Sea. Our results </span><span>show that NIS retain a certain degree of similarity with native species, but display one or a few singular unique traits (e.g., bioturbation ability). Furthermore, we demonstrate that community assembly processes, including both environmental filtering and limiting similarity affect NIS establishment, but that their effects may be highly context dependent, as illustrated by pronounced spatial patterns in distinctiveness. </span><span>Finally, our trait-based approach provides a generic framework applicable to other areas and organisms, to better understand and address biological invasions. </span></p>
Data from: Trees have overlapping potential niches that extend beyond their realized niches
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Environmental niche overlap in sibling planktonic species calanus finmarchicus and c. glacialis in Arctic fjords
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Narrow dietary niche with high overlap between snow leopards and Himalayan wolves indicates potential for resource competition in Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal
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Data from: Drivers of viral prevalence in landscape-scale pollinator networks across Europe: Honey bee viral density, niche overlap with this reservoir host and network architecture
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
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DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.