Spatial niche partitioning may promote coexistence of Pygoscelis penguins as climate-induced sympatry occurs.

ABSTRACT: Climate-induced range overlap can result in novel interactions between similar species and potentially lead to competitive exclusion. The West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth and is experiencing a poleward climate migration from a polar to subpolar environment. This has resulted in a range expansion of the ice-intolerant gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) and a coincident decrease in ice-obligate Adélie penguins (P. adeliae) near Palmer Station, Anvers Island, WAP. Ecologically similar species that share a limited prey resource must occupy disparate foraging niches in order to co-exist. Therefore, we determined the extent of foraging and dietary niche segregation between Adélie and gentoo penguins during the austral breeding seaso

SUBMITTER: Pickett EP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6202752 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature