Magioli Marcelo, Alberici Vinicius, Carvalho Elildo A R, Attias Nina, Ferraz Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros, Moreira Marcelo Zacharias, Desbiez Arnaud L J, Chiarello Adriano Garcia
Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (LAEC), Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil.
Ecol Lett. 2025 Jul;28(7):e70173. doi: 10.1111/ele.70173.
Natural history data are essential for understanding species' ecological roles, supporting applied research and guiding conservation efforts. However, significant gaps in ecological knowledge limit our understanding, requiring complementary approaches to bridge them. Using an integrative analytical framework, we explored multiple niche dimensions of poorly known co-occurring xenarthran insectivores, uncovering shared and unique roles within this guild. Our findings revealed divergences among most species' pairs across three niche dimensions while emphasising distinct ecological roles within a three-tier trophic structure. Habitat use was strongly influenced by resource availability, with species exploiting both natural and anthropogenic habitats, reflecting a double-edged trade-off. Spatial and trophic patterns mirrored each other, demonstrating the interconnectedness of diet and habitat use, with activity patterns further aligning with these trends. These findings challenge assumptions of ecological redundancy and highlight the complexity of guild-level interactions, emphasising critical knowledge gaps in biodiversity and its essential contributions to global ecosystem processes.
自然历史数据对于理解物种的生态作用、支持应用研究以及指导保护工作至关重要。然而，生态知识的重大差距限制了我们的理解，需要采用互补方法来弥合这些差距。我们使用一个综合分析框架，探索了鲜为人知的共生贫齿目食虫动物的多个生态位维度，揭示了该类群中共享和独特的作用。我们的研究结果揭示了大多数物种对在三个生态位维度上的差异，同时强调了在三层营养结构中不同的生态作用。栖息地利用受到资源可用性的强烈影响，物种同时利用自然和人为栖息地，这反映了一种双刃剑式的权衡。空间和营养模式相互映照，表明饮食和栖息地利用之间的相互联系，活动模式进一步与这些趋势一致。这些发现挑战了生态冗余的假设，突出了类群水平相互作用的复杂性，强调了生物多样性及其对全球生态系统过程的重要贡献方面的关键知识差距。
