Sympatry and resource partitioning between the largest krill consumers around the Antarctic Peninsula
Sympatry and resource partitioning between the largest krill consumers around the Antarctic Peninsula
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DOI：
10.3354/meps13771
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发表时间：
2021-07-08
影响因子：
2.5
通讯作者：
Durban, John W.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Friedlaender, Ari S.;Joyce, Trevor;Durban, John W.
了解密切相关的同域物种如何相对于其环境分布，对于了解生态系统结构和功能以及预测环境变化的影响至关重要。南极半岛拥有高密度的磷虾和磷虾消费者;然而，该地区正在迅速变暖，后果不明。座头鲸Megaptera novaeangliae和南极小须鲸Balaenoptera bonaerensis是这里最大的磷虾消费者，但关于它们的分布，行为和相互作用以及这些将如何受到变化条件的影响的关键数据仍然存在差距。使用卫星遥测和新的空间点过程建模技术，我们量化了每个物种的栖息地使用相对于动态环境变量，并确定重叠的核心栖息地面积在夏季海冰最小。我们发现，座头鲸广泛分布在大陆架沃茨，利用近岸海湾，而小须鲸限制他们的运动到庇护海湾和地区的冰存在。这提出了一个小须鲸核心栖息地与座头鲸更广泛的家园范围基本重叠的情况。虽然没有迹象表明猎物在这个生态系统中是有限的，但这些物种之间的重叠可能会增加，因为影响季节性海冰的范围，时间和持续时间的气候变化会减少小须鲸首选觅食栖息地的数量，同时增加座头鲸。我们的研究结果提供了第一个定量评估的行为为基础的栖息地利用和这2磷虾消费者之间的同域性，并提供了深入了解一个快速变化的环境对极地生态系统的结构和功能的潜在影响。
Understanding how closely related, sympatric species distribute themselves relative to their environment is critical to understanding ecosystem structure and function and predicting effects of environmental variation. The Antarctic Peninsula supports high densities of krill and krill consumers; however, the region is warming rapidly, with unknown consequences. Humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae and Antarctic minke whales Balaenoptera bonaerensis are the largest krill consumers here, yet key data gaps remain about their distribution, behavior, and interactions and how these will be impacted by changing conditions. Using satellite telemetry and novel spatial point-process modeling techniques, we quantified habitat use of each species relative to dynamic environmental variables and determined overlap in core habitat areas during summer months when sea ice is at a minimum. We found that humpback whales ranged broadly over continental shelf waters, utilizing nearshore bays, while minke whales restricted their movements to sheltered bays and areas where ice is present. This presents a scenario where minke whale core habitat overlaps substantially with the broader home ranges of humpback whales. While there is no indication that prey is limiting in this ecosystem, increased overlap between these species may arise as climate-driven changes that affect the extent, timing, and duration of seasonal sea ice decrease the amount of preferred foraging habitat for minke whales while concurrently increasing it for humpback whales. Our results provide the first quantitative assessment of behaviorally based habitat use and sympatry between these 2 krill consumers and offers insight into the potential effects of a rapidly changing environment on the structure and function of a polar ecosystem.