Abstract
The niche overlap between trophic groups of Chironomidae larvae in different habitats was observed between trophic groups and between different environments in Neotropical floodplain. For the evaluation we used the index of niche overlap (CXY) and analysis of trophic networks, both from the types and amount of food items identified in the larval alimentary canal. In all environments, the larvae fed on mainly organic matter such as plants fragments and algae, but there were many omnivore larvae. Species that have high values of food items occurred in diverse environments as generalists with great overlap niche and those with a low amount of food items with less overlap niche were classified as specialists. The largest number of trophic niche overlap was observed among collector-gatherers in connected floodplain lakes. The lower values of index niche overlap were predators. The similarity in the diet of different taxa in the same niche does not necessarily imply competition between them, but coexistence when the food resource is not scarce in the environment even in partially overlapping niches.
Highlights
The identification of the patterns and mechanisms of species occurrence have been controversial issues in community ecology (Weither and Keddy, 1999; Ulrich, 2004)
This study aimed to evaluate the niche Chironomidae species and the interactions between species using the same habitat by analysing their digestive content, and these determine whether or not there exists niche overlap between different trophic groups
The low densities of Chironomidae larvae were due to these lentic environment having great input of organic matter from allochthonous sources and the start of the decomposition process that causes low oxygen of water, selecting tolerant species
Summary
The identification of the patterns and mechanisms of species occurrence have been controversial issues in community ecology (Weither and Keddy, 1999; Ulrich, 2004). Studies showed the importance of simple deterministic rules based on forbidden species composition and reduced niche overlap in the structure of natural communities (Diamond, 1975). Interspecific competition could not be somehow sufficient to describe the abundance and the diversity of species. Other stochastic processes may be involved (Hubbel, 2001), suggesting the role of environmental variability in determining patterns of community composition (Ellwood et al, 2009).
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