Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
115
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.9.0
Dataset results
115 results for “Niche overlap”
A trait-based approach to assess niche overlap and functional distinctiveness between non-indigenous and native species
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Spatial and temporal niche overlap of aardwolves and aardvarks in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Evolutionary history and precipitation seasonality shape niche overlap in Neotropical bat-plant pollination networks
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Genetic diversity and ecogeographical niche overlap among hybridizing ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum, Asteraceae) in the Carpathian Mountains: the impact of anthropogenic disturbances
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Correlation of plasticities to drought and shade: Implications for environmental niche overlap in drylands
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: revisiting niche divergence hypothesis in dimorphic birds: is diet overlap correlated with sexual size dimorphism?
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
How competitive intransitivity and niche overlap affect spatial coexistence
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
New England and eastern cottontail data for Maxent and niche overlap modeling
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Niche overlap between two large herbivores across landscape variability using dietary eDNA metabarcoding: Raw sequences of European bison and red deer – Bialowieza
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Geographic patterns of insect diversity across China's nature reserves: The roles of niche conservatism and range overlapping
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Effects of niche overlap on co-existence, fixation, and invasion in a population of two interacting species
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Specialization and niche overlap across spatial scales: revealing ecological factors shaping species richness and coexistence in Australian songbirds
1. Ecological specialization enables the partitioning of resources and thus can facilitate the coexistence of species and promote higher species richness. Specialization and niche partitioning are expected to exert a decisive influence on local spatial scales, while species richness at regional scales should be shaped mostly by historical factors and abiotic conditions. Moreover, specialization is expected to be particularly important in communities that are exceptionally species rich for their environmental conditions. Concurrently, niche overlap in these communities should be minimized to enable species coexistence. 2. We tested these hypotheses by studying specialization-richness relationship and niche overlap in assemblages of 298 species of songbirds (Passeriformes) across Australia. We used local (2-6 ha) to regional (bioregions) spatial scales, and detailed data on habitat, diet, and foraging behaviour (method, substrate, and stratum). 3. We expected the richness-specialization relationship to be particularly strong i) on local spatial scales and ii) in communities exceptionally species rich for given environmental conditions (approximated by moisture and vegetation complexity). We also expected iii) low niche overlap in assemblages with specialized species. 4. Only the third prediction was partly supported. First, while the specialization and species richness were often positively related, the strength and the direction of the relationship changed between traits and across spatial scales. The strength of the specialization-richness relationship was consistently positive only in foraging stratum, and it increased towards smaller spatial scales only in case of habitat and diet. Simultaneously, species in local communities demonstrated high overlap in habitat and diet. Second, we did not find particularly strong specialization-richness relationships in exceptionally species rich communities. Third, we found the expected negative relationship between specialization and overlap in foraging stratum and substrate (in local communities), suggesting that species partition ecological space locally in terms of where they find food. 5. Our expectations were only weakly supported. Specialization on foraging stratum was probably important in facilitating species co-existence. Conversely, although species were often specialized on habitat and diet, high overlap in these traits did not preclude their local coexistence. Overall, specialization and overlap in foraging traits were more important for species coexistence than habitat or diet.
Foraging niche overlap during chick-rearing in the sexually dimorphic Westland petrel
Most Procellariform seabirds are pelagic, breed in summer when prey availability peaks, and migrate for winter. They also display a dual foraging strategy (short and long trips) and sex-specific foraging. The Westland petrel Procellaria westlandica, a New Zealand endemic, is one of the rare seabirds breeding in winter. Preliminary findings on this large and sexually-dimorphic petrel suggest a foraging with no evidence of a dual strategy, within a narrow range and with shared areas between sexes. To investigate further this unusual strategy, the present study determined the fine-scale at-sea behaviours (GPS and accelerometer data loggers) and trophic niches (stable isotopes in whole blood) of chick-rearing individuals (16 males, 13 females). All individuals foraged on the shelf slope of the west coast of New Zealand's South Island with short, unimodal trips. Both sexes foraged at similar intensity without temporal, spatial or isotopic niche segregation. These findings suggest the presence of a winter prey resource close to the colony, sufficient to satisfy the nutritional needs of breeding without intra-specific competition avoidance or increased foraging effort. Additional data are needed to assess the consistency of foraging niche between the sexes and its reproductive outcomes in view of anticipated environmental changes.
Data from: Observed fitness may affect niche overlap in competing species via selective social information use
Social information transmission is important because it enables horizontal spread of behaviors, not only between conspecifics, but also between individuals of different species. Because interspecific social information use is expected to take place among species with similar resource needs, it may have major consequences for the emergence of local adaptations, resource sharing and community organization. Social information use is expected to be selective, but the conditions promoting it in an interspecific context are not well known. Here, we experimentally test whether pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) use the clutch size of great tits (Parus major) in determining the quality of the observed individual and use it as a basis in decision-making. We show that pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) copied or rejected a novel nest-site feature preference of great tits (Parus major), experimentally manipulated to exhibit high or low fitness (clutch size), respectively. Our results demonstrate that the social transmission of behaviors across species can be highly selective in response to observed fitness, plausibly making the phenomenon adaptive. In contrast with the current theory of species coexistence, overlap between realized niches of species could dynamically increase or decrease depending on the observed success of surrounding individuals.
Data from: Quantifying niche availability, niche overlap and competition for recruitment sites in plant populations without explicit knowledge of niche axes.
1. Niche availability, niche overlap and competitive ability are key determinants of the distribution and abundance of species. However, quantifying each of these components is difficult because it is not always possible to identify or measure relevant environmental gradients (niche axes) along which species might partition or compete for niche space. 2. We describe a method that uses seed addition experiments to quantify the number of 'safe-sites' (microsites suitable for a species to recruit from seed) at a location and show how this method can be used to quantify niche availability, niche overlap and competitive ability. We illustrate our approach using two seed addition experiments in grassland. 3. In the first experiment, we added seeds of one native and two exotic grass species, alone and in mixture, to plots that were arrayed along a gradient of soil moisture availability. We show that the three species partitioned safe-sites, implying that all three species could locally co-occur through niche partitioning, in part due to different responses to moisture availability. 4. In the second experiment, we added seeds of three commonly co-occurring native grass species, alone and in mixture, to plots with no obvious environmental gradients. One species outcompeted two others for site occupancy, allowing us to quantify both the degree of niche overlap and the relative ability of each species to compete for safe-site occupancy without a priori knowledge of the niche axes. Results from both experiments demonstrate the fine-scales at which species can partition niches to facilitate co-occurrence. 5. Synthesis. By conceptualising a plot of ground as containing a limited number of microsites that are safe for the recruitment of a given species, and using seed addition experiments to measure both the number of safe-sites and degree of safe-site overlap among species, we show how niche availability, niche overlap and competitive ability can be quantified at fine-scales without a priori knowledge of niche axes. Our approach allows questions about niche availability and competition for shared niche space to be empirically tested, and to examine how these processes vary along environmental gradients to shape species distributions and patterns of co-occurrence.
Data from: The effect of range overlap on ecological niche divergence depends on spatial scale in monkeyflowers
Patterns of niche divergence and geographical range overlap of closely related species provide insights into the evolutionary dynamics of ecological niches. When ranges overlap, shared selective pressures may preserve niche similarity along coarse‐scale macrohabitat axes (e.g., bioclimates). Alternatively, competitive interactions may drive greater divergence along local‐scale microhabitat axes (e.g., micro‐topographical features). We tested these hypotheses in 16 species pairs of western North American monkeyflowers (Erythranthe and Diplacus, formerly Mimulus) with species' niches, geographic ranges and a robust phylogeny. We found that macrohabitat niche divergence decreased with increasing range overlap, consistent with convergent selection operating at a coarse scale. No significant relationship was detected for microhabitat niches. Additionally, niche divergence was greater for young pairs along all macrohabitat niche axes, but greater for old pairs along one microhabitat axis related to vegetation cover. For a subset of species pairs with partially overlapping ranges, greater microhabitat divergence was detected in sympatry than in allopatry for at least one niche axis for three pairs, consistent with character displacement in sympatry. Thus, coarse‐ and local‐scale niche divergence show dissimilar patterns in relation to range overlap and evolutionary time, perhaps because the relative importance of convergent versus divergent selection depends on spatial scale.
Data from: Discrimination of grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae) diet and niche overlap using next-generation sequencing of gut contents
Species of grasshopper have been divided into three diet classifications based on mandible morphology: forbivorous (specialist on forbs), graminivorous (specialist on grasses), and mixed feeding (broad-scale generalists). For example, Melanoplus bivittatus and Dissosteira carolina are presumed to be broad-scale generalists, Chortophaga viridifasciata is a specialist on grasses, and Melanoplus femurrubrum is a specialist on forbs. These classifications, however, have not been verified in the wild. Multiple specimens of these four species were collected, and diet analysis was performed using DNA metabarcoding of the gut contents. The rbcLa gene region was amplified and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Levins' measure and the Shannon–Wiener measure of niche breadth were calculated using family-level identifications and Morisita's measure of niche overlap was calculated using operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Gut contents confirm both D. carolina and M. bivittatus as generalists and C. viridifasciata as a specialist on grasses. For M. femurrubrum, a high niche breadth was observed and species of grasses were identified in the gut as well as forbs. Niche overlap values did not follow predicted patterns, however, the low values suggest low competition between these species.
Data from: Trophic niche size and overlap decreases with increasing ecosystem productivity
The production and transfer of biomass through trophic relationships is a core ecosystem function. The movement of energy through the food web is mediated by organisms operating in their niche space. For generalists, the size of this niche space is inherently plastic and changes in response to available food sources. Therefore, this relationship between ecosystem productivity and niche size is an important determinant of ecosystem function. Competing theories about the nature of this relationship predict that as productivity increases niche size will either increase as species capitalize on a general increase in resource availability or decrease as it becomes viable to focus on preferred production channels. Here, we test these two competing theoretical frameworks using a novel approach to determine trophic niche size using stable isotope analysis and hypervolume metrics. Resource use is quantified in two generalist fish species at three productivity levels in a seagrass ecosystem. Niche size of both species was inversely related to seagrass productivity, consistent with the hypothesis that increasing productivity allows species to focus on a narrower diet. This pattern describes the relationship between ecosystem production and niche size and provides an empirical ecological explanation for the resource maximization behaviors commonly observed in nature.
Deer GPS and animal-borne camera data showing effects of gray wolves on niche overlap between mule and white-tailed deer in eastern Washington state
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Predators may alter niche overlap between prey species by eliciting divergent anti-predator behavior. Accordingly, we exploited heterogeneous gray wolf (<i>Canis lupus</i>) presence in Washington, USA, to contrast patterns of resource and dietary overlap between mule (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) and white-tailed deer (<i>O. virginianus</i>) at sites with and without resident packs. Mule deer run (stot) in a way that is less effective as a means of fleeing from predators than the galloping gait of white-tailed deer. Consequently, mule deer manage risk from coursing predators like wolves by avoiding encounters, whereas white-tailed deer respond to such predators by exploiting areas where they are most likely to escape pursuit. Thus, under the "refuge partitioning hypothesis" whereby predators reduce prey niche overlap by eliciting use of different refugia, we predicted wolf exposure to (i) decrease resource and dietary overlap between these ungulates, and (ii) induce segregation consistent with each species using different parts of the landscape to reduce their wolf risk. At the home range scale, the ways in which resource overlap diminished in the wolf areas were consistent with the prey species reducing their respective risks, particularly with respect to slope, with mule deer separating from white-tailed deer by seeking steeper areas where wolf encounters are less likely. At the within-home range scale, the manner in which spatial overlap decreased in relation to forest cover was consistent with species-specific risk management, with mule deer avoiding wolf encounters by shifting toward this resource. Reduced resource overlap between the deer in areas occupied by wolves did not correspond with dietary divergence. Our findings suggest that wolf risk mediates spatial but not necessarily dietary overlap between sympatric ungulates, divergent anti-predator behavior is a non-consumptive pathway by which predators can reduce interspecific competition among prey, and use of disparate refugia by prey may not result in dietary divergence.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Isotopic niche overlap between sympatric Australian snubfin and humpback dolphins
<p>Ecological niche theory predicts the coexistence of closely related species is promoted by resource partitioning and leads to the use of different ecological niches. Australian snubfin (<em>Orcaella heinsohni</em>) and humpback (<em>Sousa sahulensis</em>) dolphins live in sympatry throughout most of their range in northern Australia. We compared stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ<sup>13</sup>C) and nitrogen (δ<sup>15</sup>N) in their skin to investigate resource partitioning between these ecologically similar species. Skin samples were collected from live Australian snubfin (n = 31) and humpback dolphins (n = 23) along the east coast of Queensland in 2014-2015. Both species had similar δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>15</sup>N values and high (>50%) isotopic niche space overlap, suggesting that they feed at similar trophic levels, have substantial dietary overlap, and both rely on similar basal food resources. Despite similarities, snubfin dolphins were more likely to have a larger δ<sup>15</sup>N than humpback dolphins, indicating they may forage on a wider diversity of prey. Humpback dolphins were more likely to have a larger δ<sup>13</sup>C range suggesting they may forage on a wider range of habitats. Overall results suggest that subtle differences in habitat use, and prey selection are likely the principal resource partitioning mechanisms enabling co-existence of Australian snubfin and humpback dolphins.</p>
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
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.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
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.