Patterns of microhabitat use in a sympatric lizard assemblage

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (12) ◽  
pp. 2226-2234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E James ◽  
Robert T M'Closkey
Keyword(s):  
Function Analysis ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
The Other ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
National Monument ◽  
Niche Differences ◽  
Juniper Woodland ◽  
Pinyon Pine

The distribution of animals among habitats and microhabitats has frequently been used to examine patterns of niche overlap. We characterized microhabitat differences within an assemblage of four phrynosomatine lizard species (Sceloporus graciosus, Sceloporus undulatus, Urosaurus ornatus, and Uta stansburiana) that are commonly syntopic in the pinyon pine – juniper woodland habitat on the elevated mesas of western Colorado. We censused lizard populations and recorded microhabitat characteristics of areas surrounding capture sites within Colorado National Monument, U.S.A. Discriminant function analysis of microhabitat features extracted two significant roots, explaining 89% of the microhabitat variation observed among species. Planned comparisons of canonical scores revealed two significant microhabitat niche differences. First, the microhabitat niche of U. ornatus was distinguished from those of all the other species by higher perch height and more vertical substrate, indicating this species' arboreality. Second, the microhabitat niche of S. graciosus was distinguished from those of the other species by having more flatland and less rock, indicating the use of more open flat sandy areas within the pinyon pine – juniper woodland by this terrestrial species. Although the observed differences in microhabitat may influence the coexistence of these ecologically similar species, changes in relative abundance of the species over time suggest alternative mechanisms of coexistence.

scholarly journals Evidence of character displacement in microhabitat use between two tropical sympatric Holcosus lizard species (Reptilia, Teiidae)

2019 ◽  
pp. 379-388
Author(s):  
F. Ruiz Real ◽  
J. Martín
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Competitive Exclusion ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Character Displacement ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
The Other ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Species Shifts ◽  
Selection Of

Interspecific competition between sympatric related species leading to character displacement is critical for species coexistence, especially in tropical habitats. We examined microhabitat use of two sympatric species of tropical lizards of the genus Holcosus in relationship to the microhabitats available in two ecosystems. The species H. festivus lives exclusively in the forest and uses microhabitats in proportion to their availability; while the other, H. quadrilineatus, lives both in forest and on the beach and selects microhabitats with specific characteristics. In the ecosystem where these two lizards live in sympatry (forest), we observed a differential microhabitat use between the two species. However, these differences indicated changes in habitat use by H. quadrilineatus (the smaller species) concerning its patterns of habitat selection in the ecosystem (beach) where only this species occurs. The age of the lizards did not affect the patterns of selection of microhabitats of either species. Shifts in microhabitat use may allow coexistence in sympatry of both species, which might result from the competitive exclusion of the smaller species by the larger species. Key words: Interspecific competition, Holcosus, Lizards, Microhabitat use, Tropical habitats

Species coexistence

2020 ◽  
pp. 5-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Chesson
Keyword(s):  
Community Ecology ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Neutral Theory ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Shared Environment ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Average Performance ◽  
Niche Differences ◽  
Ecological Drift ◽  
Average Fitness

In most places on Earth, many similar species are found coexisting. This key observation is often explained in terms of ecological differences in how species interact with their shared environment, that is, in terms of their niche differences. Niche differences can to lead to stable coexistence in contrast to the ecological drift predicted by the neutral theory of community ecology. Coexistence becomes stabilized as density feedback within species is strengthened relative to density feedback between species. Coexistence is reflective of two distinct niche comparisons, niche overlap, and species relative average fitness. In general, low niche overlap (dissimilarity in use of the environment) and similar average fitnesses (similar average performance) favor coexistence. For a unified theory of species coexistence, it is shown how the Lotka–Volterra competition model can reflect and quantify several types of niche comparison, including comparisons of resource use, susceptibility to natural enemies, and temporal variation in activity.

scholarly journals Lizard assemblage from a sand dune habitat from southeastern Brazil: a niche overlap analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 88 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 677-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
GISELE R. WINCK ◽  
FABIO HATANO ◽  
DAVOR VRCIBRADIC ◽  
MONIQUE VAN SLUYS ◽  
CARLOS F.D. ROCHA
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Area ◽  
Sand Dune ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Null Models ◽  
The Other ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Overlap Analysis

ABSTRACT Communities are structured by interactions of historical and ecological factors, which influence the use of different resources in time and space. We acquired data on time of activity, microhabitat use and diet of a lizard assemblage from a sand dune habitat in a coastal area, southeastern Brazil (Restinga de Jurubatiba). We analyzed the data of niche overlap among species in these three axes (temporal, spatial and trophic) using null models. We found a significant overlap within the trophic niche, whereas the overlap for the other axes did not differ from the expected. Based on this result, we discuss the factors acting on the structure of the local lizard community.

scholarly journals Niche differences between two sympatric whiptail lizards (Cnemidophorus abaetensis and C. ocellifer, Teiidae) in the restinga habitat of northeastern Brazil

2007 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
EJR. Dias ◽  
CFD. Rocha
Keyword(s):  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Activity Period ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Niche Differences ◽  
Niche Dimension ◽  
Food Niche ◽  
Prey Items

Differences among sympatric lizard species usually result from differences in the use of three resources: space, time and food or some combination of these three. However, differences in resource utilization among sympatric species may simply reflect their specific ecological needs rather than competitive pressures. In this study, we analyzed the temporal, spatial and food niche of two congeneric teiids (Cnemidophorus abaetensis and C. ocellifer) living sympatrically in the "restinga" habitat of Abaeté in the Salvador Municipality, Bahia State, Brazil to assess the degree of niche differentiation among them. The whiptail species overlapped considerably in an hourly activity (Ojk = 0.93), in microhabitat use (Ojk = 0.97) and in the prey items consumed (Ojk = 0.89). Differences in amount of vegetation in the microhabitats used by both lizard species may have contributed to differences in the activity period and in the distribution of the main prey eaten by these lizards which may, in turn, facilitate their coexistence in Abaeté. Although sympatric C. ocellifer and C. abaetensis in Abaeté differed only slightly in their use of microhabitats, period of activity and diet, the most important niche dimension segregating the two species seemed to be the food niche.

scholarly journals Δ14C PEAKS APPEARING IN EARLYWOOD AND LATEWOOD TREE RINGS (AD 770–780) IN NORTHEASTERN ARIZONA

Radiocarbon ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
J H Park ◽  
J Southon ◽  
JW Seo ◽  
P P Creasman ◽  
W Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Rings ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Pinus Edulis ◽  
Lateral Transfer ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
National Monument ◽  
Small Rise ◽  
Pinyon Pine

ABSTRACT The AD 775 peak in Δ14C (henceforth, M12) was first measured by Miyake et al. and has since been confirmed globally. Here we present earlywood and latewood Δ14C values from tree rings of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) from Mummy Cave, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Chinle, Arizona, USA, for the period AD 770–780. These data reconfirm the timing of M12 and show a small rise in Δ14C in AD 774 latewood. Allowing for the delay in lateral transfer of radiocarbon produced at high latitude, this suggests that 14C peak production occurred in late winter or spring of AD 774. Additionally, Δ14C decreased slightly in the earlywood of AD 775 and increased in the latewood of AD 775 to a higher level than that observed in AD 774.

scholarly journals Checklist of lizards of the Juruti, state of Pará, Brazil

Check List ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Lúcia Costa Prudente ◽  
Fernanda Magalhães ◽  
Alessandro Menks ◽  
João Fabrício De Melo Sarmento
Keyword(s):  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
The Other ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Species List ◽  
The Road ◽  
On The Road

We present the first lizard species list for the municipality of Juruti, state of Pará, Brazil. The list was drawn up as a result of data obtained from specimens deposited in the Herpetological Collection of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi and from inventories conducted in 2008-2011. Sampling methods included pitfall traps with drift fences and time constrained searches. We considered the data collected by other researchers, incidental encounters and records of dead individuals on the road. We recorded 33 species, 26 genera and ten families. Norops tandai was the most abundant species. Compared with the other regions of Amazonia, the region of Juruti presented a large number of lizards. However, further studies with an increase in the sampling effort, could prove this area to be richer in lizards than that observed so far.

scholarly journals Interactions between frugivorous bats (Phyllostomidae) and Piper tuberculatum (Piperaceae) in a tropical dry forest remnant in Valle del Cauca, Colombia

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastián Montoya-Bustamante ◽  
Vladimir Rojas-Díaz ◽  
Alba Marina Torres-González
Keyword(s):  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
The Other ◽  
Leg Length ◽  
Wing Area ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Forest Remnant ◽  
Valle Del Cauca ◽  
Artibeus Lituratus ◽  
The Village

Coexistence of species from a trophic guild depends on the division and use of resources. In any ecosystem, fruits are resources that vary in time and space as well as in nutritional content. Therefore, the organisms that depend on them as a food source tend to show a certain degree of specialization. Understanding the factors that influence the dynamics of seed dispersal is important for the regeneration and conservation of tropical ecosystems. Our aim was to determine variation in consumption of <em>Piper tuberculatum </em>(pipilongo) by the fruit bat assemblages in the village of Robles (Jamundí, Valle del Cauca, Colombia). Pipilongo is a resource used not only by wildlife but also by people in the village of Robles. Bats were captured in mist nets between June and November 2014, their feces were collected, and the length of the forearm, wing area, leg length and weight were recorded. At the Universidad del Valle seed laboratory, fecal samples were washed, and their content determined. Of the 14 species captured, <em>Sturnira lilium, Carollia brevicauda, Carollia perspicillata</em> and <em>Artibeus lituratus</em> showed signs of having consumed <em>P. tuberculatum.</em> <em>Sturnira lilium</em> was the main consumer of <em>P. tuberculatum </em>fruits, with the greatest number of consumption events of fruit from this plant species, whereas the other bats showed more diversified consumption events. The greatest niche overlap was recorded between <em>C. brevicauda</em> and <em>C. perspicillata</em>, species that showed similar sizes (i.e., wing area and forearm length) followed by <em>S. lilium</em> and <em>C. perspicillata. </em>In contrast, <em>A. lituratus</em> showed the least niche overlap with the other three fruit bats captured. In conclusion, <em>Sturnira lilium</em> showed an interaction <em>Sturnira-Piper</em>, which is the result of low <em>Solanum</em> availability, and this bat species was the largest consumer of pipilongo in the region.

scholarly journals Natural history of the lizard Enyalius brasiliensis (Lesson, 1828) (Leiosauridae) from an Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil

2004 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Van Sluys ◽  
V. M. Ferreira ◽  
C. F. D. Rocha
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
The Other ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Important Food ◽  
Insect Larvae ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Food Items ◽  
History Of ◽  
Forest Leaf Litter

Information on the ecology of lizard species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest is scarce and almost nothing is known about the ecology of lizards of the genus Enyalius. In this study, we provide information about some aspects of the natural history of E. brasiliensis from an area of Atlantic Forest in Ilha Grande, RJ. Enyalius brasiliensis (N = 15) feeds mainly on arthropods. The most frequent food items were insect larvae, orthopterans, and ants; in terms of volume, larvae and termites were the most important food items; ants and termites were the most numerous prey categories. Two females were reproductive (one had 10 and the other, five vitellogenic follicles); the smallest measured 92.4 mm in SVL. Seven lizards were found on forest leaf litter. The other microhabitats used were vines, fallen logs, branches, and a crevice on a slope.

The comparative ecology and evidence for resource partitioning in two pholidid fishes (Pisces: Pholididae) from southern British Columbia eelgrass beds

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant W. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Prey Type ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Intertidal Habitat ◽  
Comparative Ecology ◽  
Saanich Inlet ◽  
Breeding Habitats ◽  
Eelgrass Beds

A comparative analysis of the ecology of sympatrically occurring Pholis laeta and Pholis ornata was conducted in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia. Summer microhabitat use of eelgrass bed depths, intertidal habitat use, prey type, and characteristic location of prey taken differed in fish older than 1 year and may have facilitated the coexistence of these morphologically similar species. Prey sizes and activity patterns were similar between species. Winter segregation of the species during the breeding season may have reduced the possibility of hybridization. Competition for breeding habitats and differences in trophic apparatus may partly explain the observed patterns of resource use.

Metacommunities

2019 ◽  
pp. 266-284
Author(s):  
Gary G. Mittelbach ◽  
Brian J. McGill
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Neutral Theory ◽  
Patch Dynamics ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
The Other ◽  
Species Sorting ◽  
Niche Differences ◽  
Dynamics Of Populations

Just as the dispersal of individuals may link the dynamics of populations in space, the dispersal of species among communities may link local communities into a metacommunity. Four different perspectives characterize how dispersal rates, environmental heterogeneity, and species traits interact to influence diversity in metacommunities. These perspectives are: patch dynamics, species sorting, mass effects, and the neutral perspective. The neutral perspective stands in stark contrast to the other three perspectives in that it assumes that niche differences between species are unimportant and that species are demographically identical in terms of their birth, death, and dispersal rates. Under the neutral perspective, species diversity is maintained by a balance between speciation, extinction, and dispersal. Although neutral theory is incompatible with realistic modes and rates of speciation, it has been enormously influential in focusing our attention on the linkages between species interactions on local scales, and evolutionary and biogeographic processes occurring on large scales.

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