Deng Shuaitao, Li Jiaqi, Qu Yashu, He Jun, Liu Kai, Xue Hui, Cui Peng, Ruan Xiangdong, Wu Hailong
Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang Basin Co-founded by Anhui Province and Ministry of Education Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotic Environment and Ecological Safety in Anhui School of Ecology and Environment Anhui Normal University Wuhu China.
Shanghai Wildlife and Protected Natural Areas Research Center Shanghai China.
Ecol Evol. 2021 Dec 3;11(24):17801-17809. doi: 10.1002/ece3.8307. eCollection 2021 Dec.
The competitive relationship and coexistence pattern among close related species have long been one of the hot issues in ecological research. Interspecies interactions can exert important influences on the local distribution of rare species. Black muntjac is an endemic species to eastern China, currently restricted to limited regions. In contrast, Chinese muntjac is the most common and widespread deer in southern China. Both species co-occur in southern Anhui and western Zhejiang Province. Little is known about the interaction of these two sympatric-related species. In this study, to investigate the site use determinants and co-occurrence pattern of the two sympatric muntjac species, we conducted a camera trap survey across about 250 km in mountainous area of southern Anhui Province, China. We adopted a multistep approach to incorporate habitat preferences while modeling occupancy and detection. We found that the two species did not separate along elevation gradient (range from 400 m to 1,400 m) as described in previous studies. Results of single-species occupancy models indicated that elevation had positive effects on the site use of both species, while slope had an opposite influence on their site use. Positive effects of elevation on the site use implied that both species try to avoid human interference at low elevations. Significant negative effect of slope on the site use of black muntjac suggested that the species prefer habitat with gentle slope and avoided steep. Co-occurrence models and species interaction factors provided evidence that the two muntjac species had an independent occupancy ( = , SIF = 1) and exhibited a positive species interaction in detection probability ( < ). Combined with the results of previous studies, we suggested that it was fine differentiation in microhabitats and food resources utilization rather spatial or temporal segregation that allowed the two species co-occurrence. The site use determinants revealed in our study would be useful for the habitat conservation and restoration for the rare black muntjac, and the co-occurrence pattern of the two sympatric muntjac species could provide useful information for deep understanding of the coexistence mechanism among forest-dwelling ungulates.
近缘物种之间的竞争关系和共存模式长期以来一直是生态学研究的热点问题之一。种间相互作用会对珍稀物种的局部分布产生重要影响。黑麂是中国东部的特有物种，目前分布范围有限。相比之下，中国麂是中国南方最常见、分布最广的鹿类。这两个物种在安徽南部和浙江西部共同出现。关于这两个同域近缘物种之间的相互作用，人们了解甚少。在本研究中，为了调查这两个同域麂类物种的栖息地利用决定因素和共存模式，我们在中国安徽省南部山区约250公里的范围内进行了一次相机陷阱调查。在建立占有率和检测模型时，我们采用了多步骤方法来纳入栖息地偏好。我们发现，这两个物种并没有像先前研究中描述的那样沿着海拔梯度（400米至1400米）分离。单物种占有率模型的结果表明，海拔对两个物种的栖息地利用都有积极影响，而坡度对它们的栖息地利用有相反的影响。海拔对栖息地利用的积极影响意味着两个物种都试图避免低海拔地区的人类干扰。坡度对黑麂栖息地利用的显著负面影响表明，该物种更喜欢缓坡栖息地，避免陡坡。共存模型和物种相互作用因素提供了证据，表明这两个麂类物种具有独立的占有率（ = ，SIF = 1），并且在检测概率上表现出正的物种相互作用（ < ）。结合先前研究的结果，我们认为是微生境和食物资源利用的精细分化而非空间或时间隔离使得这两个物种能够共存。我们研究中揭示的栖息地利用决定因素将有助于珍稀黑麂的栖息地保护和恢复，这两个同域麂类物种的共存模式可为深入理解森林有蹄类动物的共存机制提供有用信息。
