Testing for effects of climate change on competitive relationships and coexistence between two bird species.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is expected to have profound ecological effects, yet shifts in competitive abilities among species are rarely studied in this context. Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tits (Parus major) compete for food and roosting sites, yet coexist across much of their range. Climate change might thus change the competitive relationships and coexistence between these two species. Analysing four of the highest-quality, long-term datasets available on these species across Europe, we extend the textbook example of coexistence between competing species to include the dynamic effects of long-term climate variation. Using threshold time-series statistical modelling, we demonstrate that long-term climate variation affects species demography through different influences on density-depen

SUBMITTER: Stenseth NC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4424635 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature