Different coexistence patterns between apex carnivores and mesocarnivores based on temporal, spatial, and dietary niche partitioning analysis in Qilian Mountain National Park, China.

ABSTRACT: Carnivores play key roles in maintaining ecosystem structure and function as well as ecological processes. Understanding how sympatric species coexist in natural ecosystems is a central research topic in community ecology and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we explored intra- and interspecific niche partitioning along spatial, temporal, and dietary niche partitioning between apex carnivores (wolf Canis lupus, snow leopard Panthera uncia, Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx) and mesocarnivores (Pallas's cat Otocolobus manul, red fox Vulpes vulpes, Tibetan fox Vulpes ferrilata) in Qilian Mountain National Park, China, using camera trapping data and DNA metabarcoding sequencing data. Our study showed that apex carnivore species had more overlap temporal

SUBMITTER: Cong W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11390114 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature