Laboratório de Interações e Biologia Reprodutiva, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Jardim das Américas, 81531-990, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Oecologia. 2023 Apr;201(4):1025-1037. doi: 10.1007/s00442-023-05347-4. Epub 2023 Apr 7.
Niche partitioning is an important mechanism that allows species to coexist. Within mutualistic interaction networks, diel niche partitioning, i.e., partitioning of resources throughout the day, has been neglected. We explored diel niche partitioning of a plant-hummingbird network in the Brazilian Atlantic forest for nine months. To evaluate diel patterns of hummingbird visits and nectar production, we used time-lapse cameras on focal flowers and repeated nectar volume and concentration measures, respectively. Additionally, we measured flower abundance around focal flowers and flower morphological traits. We did not observe diel partitioning for either hummingbirds or plants. Instead, hummingbirds appeared to specialize in different plant species, consistent with trophic niche partitioning, potentially resulting from competition. In contrast, plant species that co-flowered and shared hummingbird visits produced nectar during similar times, consistent with facilitation. Our focus on the fine-scale temporal pattern revealed that plants and hummingbirds appear to have different strategies for promoting co-existence.
生态位分化是物种共存的重要机制。在互利共生的相互作用网络中，昼夜生态位分化，即全天资源的划分，一直被忽视。我们在巴西大西洋森林中对一个植物-蜂鸟网络进行了为期九个月的昼夜生态位分化研究。为了评估蜂鸟访问和花蜜产生的昼夜模式，我们在焦点花朵上使用了延时摄像机，并分别重复了花蜜量和浓度的测量。此外，我们还测量了焦点花朵周围的花的丰度和花的形态特征。我们没有观察到蜂鸟或植物的昼夜划分。相反，蜂鸟似乎专门针对不同的植物物种，这与营养生态位分化一致，可能是由于竞争造成的。相比之下，共同开花并共享蜂鸟访问的植物物种在相似的时间产生花蜜，这与促进作用一致。我们关注的是精细的时间模式，揭示了植物和蜂鸟似乎有不同的策略来促进共存。
