| Ecological Niche Characteristics of the Diets of Three Sympatric Rodents in the Meili Snow Mountain, Yunnan |
| Qin, F; Xie, MR; Ding, JC; Li, YY; Song, WY
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| 2024
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| 发表期刊 | ANIMALS-BASEL
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| ISSN | 2076-2615
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| 卷号 | 14期号:16 |
| 摘要 | Simple Summary Investigating the dietary preferences and ecological niche characteristics of mammals can reveal their adaptive strategies under environmental changes, as well as the interrelationships and coexistence mechanisms among coexisting sympatric species. In this study, we analyzed the stomach contents of three coexisting rodents commonly found in the Meili Snow Mountain, Yunnan Province, China, using DNA metabarcoding technology to elucidate their food composition and diversity. The results revealed that, despite the presence of ecotope overlap, the three species were clearly separated in terms of their main food sources, suggesting that they may coexist in the same habitat by using different proportions and types of food to minimize interspecific food competition.Abstract Understanding the dietary preferences and ecological niche characteristics of mammals not only reveals their adaptive strategies under environmental changes but also reveals the interspecific relationships and coexistence mechanisms among sympatric species. Nevertheless, such data are scarce for rodents inhabiting areas spanning a wide altitude range. This study employed DNA metabarcoding technology to analyze the stomach contents of Apodemus ilex, Apodemus chevrieri, and Niviventer confucianus, aiming to investigate their dietary compositions and diversity in the Meili Snow Mountain in Yunnan Province, China. Levins's and Pianka's indices were used to compare the interspecific niche breadth and niche overlaps. The results revealed the following: (1) Insecta (relative abundance: 59.4-78.4%) and Clitellata (relative abundance: 5.2-25.5%) were the primary animal food sources for the three species, while Magnoliopsida (relative abundance: 90.3-99.9%) constitutes their main plant food source. Considerable interspecific differences were detected in the relative abundance of primary animal and plant foods among the three species; (2) There was partial overlap in the genus-level animal food between A. ilex and N. confucianus (Ojk = 0.4648), and partial overlap in plant food between A. ilex and A. chevrieri (Ojk = 0.3418). However, no overlap exists between A. chevrieri and N. confucianus, either in animal or plant food; (3) There were no significant interspecific differences in the alpha-diversity of animal and plant foods among the three species. The feeding strategies and ecological niche variations of these rodents support the niche differentiation hypothesis, indicating that they have diversified in their primary food sources. This diversification may be a strategy to reduce competition and achieve long-term coexistence by adjusting the types and proportions of primary foods consumed. |
| 收录类别 | SCI
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| 语种 | 英语
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| 文献类型 | 期刊论文
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| 条目标识符 | http://ir.kiz.ac.cn/handle/152453/14655
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| 专题 | 科研部门_兽类生态与进化（蒋学龙）
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推荐引用方式
GB/T 7714 |
Qin, F,Xie, MR,Ding, JC,et al. Ecological Niche Characteristics of the Diets of Three Sympatric Rodents in the Meili Snow Mountain, Yunnan[J]. ANIMALS-BASEL,2024,14(16).
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| APA |
Qin, F,Xie, MR,Ding, JC,Li, YY,&Song, WY.(2024).Ecological Niche Characteristics of the Diets of Three Sympatric Rodents in the Meili Snow Mountain, Yunnan.ANIMALS-BASEL,14(16).
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| MLA |
Qin, F,et al."Ecological Niche Characteristics of the Diets of Three Sympatric Rodents in the Meili Snow Mountain, Yunnan".ANIMALS-BASEL 14.16(2024).
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