Data from: Coexistence of two sympatric predators in a transitional ecosystem under constraining environmental conditions: a perspective from space and habitat use
Data from: Coexistence of two sympatric predators in a transitional ecosystem under constraining environmental conditions: a perspective from space and habitat use
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2023-12-11
Citation
Warret Rodrigues C, Roth JD. 2023. Data from: Coexistence of two sympatric predators in a transitional ecosystem under constraining environmental conditions: a perspective from space and habitat use. Movebank Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.5441/001/1.291Abstract
Background: Range expansion of species, a major consequence of climate changes, may alter communities substantially due to competition between expanding and native species.
Methods: We first quantified size differences between an expanding habitat generalist, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and a circumpolar habitat specialist, the Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), at the edge of the Arctic, where climate-related changes occur rapidly, to predict the likelihood of the larger competitor escalating interference to intraguild killing. We then used satellite telemetry to evaluate competition in a heterogeneous landscape by examining space use early during the foxes' reproductive period, when resource scarcity, increased-food requirements and spatial constraints likely exacerbate the potential for interference. We used time-LoCoH to quantify space and habitat use, and Minta's index to quantify spatio-temporal interactions between neighbors.
Results: Our morphometric comparison involving 236 foxes found that the potential for escalated interference between these species was high due to intermediate size difference. However, our results from 17 collared foxes suggested that expanding and native competitors may coexist when expanding species occur at low densities. Low home-range overlap between neighbors suggested territoriality and substantial exploitation competition for space. No obvious differential use of areas shared by heterospecific neighbors suggested low interference. If anything, intraspecific competition between red foxes may be stronger than interspecific competition. Red and Arctic foxes used habitat differentially, with near-exclusive use of forest patches by red foxes and marine habitats by Arctic foxes.
Conclusion: Heterogeneous landscapes may relax interspecific competition between expanding and native species, allowing exclusive use of some resources. Furthermore, the scarcity of habitats favored by expanding species may emphasize intraspecific competition between newcomers over interspecific competition, thus creating the potential for self-limitation of expanding populations. Dominant expanding competitors may benefit from interference, but usually lack adaptations to abiotic conditions at their expansion front, favoring rear-edge subordinate species in exploitation competition. However, due to ongoing climate change, systems are usually not at equilibrium. A spread of habitats and resources favorable to expanding species may promote higher densities of antagonistically dominant newcomers, which may lead to extirpation of native species.
Keywords
Vulpes vulpes,Vulpes lagopus,animal tracking,Arctic fox,Arctic tundra,GPS,intraguild interactions,range expansion,red fox,satellite telemetry
DOIs of related Publications
BibTex
@misc{001/1_291,
title = {Data from: Coexistence of two sympatric predators in a transitional ecosystem under constraining environmental conditions: a perspective from space and habitat use},
author = {Warret, Rodrigues, C and Roth, JD},
year = {2023},
URL = {http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.291},
doi = {doi:10.5441/001/1.291},
publisher = {Movebank data repository}
}RIS
TY - DATA ID - doi:10.5441/001/1.291 T1 - Data from: Coexistence of two sympatric predators in a transitional ecosystem under constraining environmental conditions: a perspective from space and habitat use AU - Warret Rodrigues, ChloƩ AU - Roth, James D. Y1 - 2023/12/11 KW - Vulpes vulpes KW - animal movement KW - Vulpes lagopus KW - animal tracking KW - Arctic fox KW - Arctic tundra KW - GPS KW - intraguild interactions KW - range expansion KW - red fox KW - satellite telemetry KW - Vulpes vulpes KW - Vulpes lagopus PB - Movebank data repository UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.291 DO - doi:10.5441/001/1.291 ER -