Microhabitat partitioning in a rodent community in the arid conditions of the South-western Caspian Lowland

Magomedrasul Sh Magomedov

doi:10.25225/jvb.20091

Abstract

This article analyses the factors underlying the spatial distribution of a rodent community in the arid conditions of the Caspian Lowland. Based on a habitat selection model, we hypothesized that sympatric species would occupy and utilize species-specific environmental habitats and resources in common spaces and that niche overlap between species would be low. Thirteen environmental parameters were chosen for study. Nine parameters significantly discriminated interspecies differences (Meriones meridianus occurred in dry microhabitats, Meriones tamariscinus occurred in wetter microhabitats, and Apodemus witherbyi and Cricetulus migratorius showed eurybiotic spatial patterns). Mus musculus was predominantly found in wet environmental conditions. Thus, A. witherbyi and C. migratorius were characterized by the greatest range of spatial niches in the community, and M. musculus was characterized by the narrowest range of spatial niches. Pairwise comparisons of rodent spatial niches revealed low overlap values.

Highlights

One goal of community ecology is to determine the mechanisms that enable species to coexist
The interridge depression microhabitat was occupied by M. tamariscinus and A. witherbyi
Our data support the hypothesis that environmental parameters underlie the microhabitat partitioning of rodent species in the Terek-Kuma Lowland

Summary

Introduction

One goal of community ecology is to determine the mechanisms that enable species to coexist. Resource partitioning between ecologically similar and sympatric species has received ample attention in ecology (Ross 1986, Kronfeld-Schor & Dayan 2003, Neronov & Alexandrov 2004, Klenovšek et al 2013, Magomedov 2017, 2019). Studies of this issue have helped in understanding the mechanisms of coexistence and the size and stability of communities (Pianka 1973, Schoener 1974, Bouchon-Navaro 1986, Bukvareva & Aleshchenko 2012, Klenovšek et al 2013). Studies of coexistence examined the possible roles of abiotic factors on species spatial patterns (Hardy 1945), but later studies have focused on the role of biotic factors (especially interspecific competition) as possible determinants of distributional patterns (Brown 1973, Schoener 1974, Shenbrot 1987, Rosenzweig 1995, Zhong et al 2016).

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