Niche differentiation in rainforest ant communities across three continents
Niche differentiation in rainforest ant communities across three continents
复制标题
三大洲雨林蚂蚁群落的生态位分化
DOI：
10.1002/ece3.5394
复制
发表时间：
2019
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
F. Menzel
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
M. E. Grevé;M. Houadria;A. Andersen;F. Menzel
生态位理论的一个中心预言是，生物群落是由竞争引起的生态位分化而构成的。到目前为止，已经有许多研究的生态位分化在当地的蚂蚁社区，但很少有人注意到生态位分化的宏观生态学，包括在何种程度上特定的生物群系在其全球范围内显示出独特的生态位结构模式。我们调查了热带雨林中蚂蚁群落的生态位分化和竞争模式，使用不同的诱饵反映了自然食物谱。我们研究了蚂蚁群落的时间和饮食生态位分化和空间隔离的程度在五个热带雨林网站在新热带，古热带和热带澳大利亚。尽管高生态位重叠，我们发现显着的饮食和时间生态位分化在每个网站。然而，在群落水平上，觅食蚂蚁之间没有空间隔离，尽管竞争激烈的首选食物资源。虽然蔗糖、三糖和死昆虫吸引了大多数蚂蚁，但有些种类更喜欢吃种子、活昆虫或鸟粪。此外，大多数网站窝藏更多的日间比夜间物种。整体生态位分化最强的多样性最低的网站，可能是由于其数量较低的稀有物种。因此，时间和饮食的分化有很强的影响，蚂蚁聚集，但其相对重要性显着不同的网站。我们的分析表明，蚂蚁群落中的生态位分化模式是高度特异性的，即使在一个生物群系，这样的一个机械的理解蚂蚁群落中的生态位结构的驱动程序仍然难以捉摸。
Abstract A central prediction of niche theory is that biotic communities are structured by niche differentiation arising from competition. To date, there have been numerous studies of niche differentiation in local ant communities, but little attention has been given to the macroecology of niche differentiation, including the extent to which particular biomes show distinctive patterns of niche structure across their global ranges. We investigated patterns of niche differentiation and competition in ant communities in tropical rainforests, using different baits reflecting the natural food spectrum. We examined the extent of temporal and dietary niche differentiation and spatial segregation of ant communities at five rainforest sites in the neotropics, paleotropics, and tropical Australia. Despite high niche overlap, we found significant dietary and temporal niche differentiation in every site. However, there was no spatial segregation among foraging ants at the community level, despite strong competition for preferred food resources. Although sucrose, melezitose, and dead insects attracted most ants, some species preferentially foraged on seeds, living insects, or bird feces. Moreover, most sites harbored more diurnal than nocturnal species. Overall niche differentiation was strongest in the least diverse site, possibly due to its lower number of rare species. Both temporal and dietary differentiation thus had strong effects on the ant assemblages, but their relative importance varied markedly among sites. Our analyses show that patterns of niche differentiation in ant communities are highly idiosyncratic even within a biome, such that a mechanistic understanding of the drivers of niche structure in ant communities remains elusive.
影响因子：
2.7
作者：
Houadria, Mickal;Menzel, Florian
通讯作者：
Menzel, Florian