Direct Interspecific Competition Research Articles

You're stressing me out! Effect of interspecific competition from red deer on roe deer physiological stress response

AbstractCortisol is the main glucocorticoid hormone commonly measured to assess adrenocortical activity in vertebrates in response to potential stressors. Competition and habitat quality may act as chronic stressors leading to an increase in cortisol accumulation. Moreover, chronic cortisol concentrations may seriously hamper the reproductive potential, health status and body condition of a species. Using hair collected from the rump of 88 adult roadkill roe deer Capreolus capreolus in the north‐eastern Italy, we aimed to assess the effect of both ungulate competitor population densities and habitat suitability on the long‐term physiological stress response of roe deer, using hair cortisol as a reference parameter. Our findings revealed that roe deer showed higher cortisol concentrations in response to higher red deer Cervus elaphus population density, most likely as a consequence of direct interspecific competition. No significant cortisol changes were however recorded in response to both wild boar Sus scrofa and roe deer population densities, probably as a result of reduced competition because of abundant feeding resources, different species population densities and spatial/temporal avoidance among species. Moreover, the absence of a significant effect as far as habitat suitability is concerned, suggest that roe deer are well adapted to live even in poor quality habitats most likely as long as they are close to better quality habitats which provide access to food resources and refuge sites. Our results highlight the importance of hair cortisol as a suitable parameter to assess physiological chronic stress response towards different environmental/ecological conditions.

Drought affects the performance of native oak seedlings more strongly than competition with invasive crested wattle seedlings.

Two of the most important processes threatening vulnerable plant species are competitive displacement by invasive alien species and water stress due to global warming. Quercus lusitanica, an oak shrub species with remarkable conservation interest, could be threatened by the expansion of the invasive alien tree Paraserianthes lophantha. However, it is unclear how competition would interact with predicted reductions in water availability due to global climate change. We set up a full factorial experiment to examine the direct interspecific competition between P. lophantha and Q. lusitanica seedlings under control and water-limited conditions. We measured seed biomass, germination, seedling emergence, leaf relative growth rate, biomass, root/shoot ratio, predawn shoot water potential and mortality to assess the individual and combined effects of water stress and interspecific competition on both species. Our results indicate that, at seedling stage, both species experience competitive effects and responses. However, water stress exhibited a stronger overall effect than competition. Although both species responded strongly to water stress, the invasive P. lophantha exhibited significantly less drought stress than the native Q. lusitanica based on predawn shoot water potential measurements. The findings of this study suggest that the competition with invasive P. lophantha in the short term must not be dismissed, but that the long-term conservation of the native shrub Q. lusitanica could be compromised by increased drought as a result of global change. Our work sheds light on the combined effects of biological invasions and climate change that can negatively affect vulnerable plant species.

Complex community-wide consequences of consumer sexual dimorphism.

Sexual dimorphism is a ubiquitous source of within‐species variation, yet the community‐level consequences of sex differences remain poorly understood.Here, we analyse a bitrophic model of two competing resource species and a sexually reproducing consumer species.We show that consumer sex differences in resource acquisition can have striking consequences for consumer‐resource coexistence, abundance and dynamics.Under both direct interspecific competition and apparent competition between two resource species, sexual dimorphism in consumers' attack rates can mediate coexistence of the resource species, while in other cases can lead to exclusion when stable coexistence is typically expected. Slight sex differences in total resource acquisition also can reverse competitive outcomes and lead to density cycles. These effects are expected whenever both consumer sexes require different amounts or types of resources to reproduce.Our results suggest that consumer sexual dimorphism, which is common, has wide‐reaching implications for the assembly and dynamics of natural communities.

The summer spatial distribution of Japanese serows (Capricornis crispus) in an area without predation risk

Prey species generally trade better forage habitats for those with lower predation risk, but whether absence of predation risk can modulate the trade-off between forage and security remains unclear. In addition, direct interspecific competition may lead to inferior species avoiding dominant species. I examined the summer spatial distribution of the Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus) at Mount Fuji in the absence of predation risk in relation to forage abundance, security (steep slope or poor visibility), and abundance of a dominant competitor, the sika deer (Cervus nippon). Only main forage abundance, terrain, and visibility affected serow summer spatial distribution, and serows were more abundant in areas with lower forage abundance, steeper slopes, and poorer visibility environments. Serows seem to use habitats with lower forage abundance in exchange for high security. My findings suggest that serows favor security rather than better forage abundance, even without predation risk, and have less behavioral plasticity related to predation risk (consistent with the idea of “ghosts of the predators past”). This may relate to serow phylogeny or characteristics, such as small body size, and solitary and sedentary habits. My findings also suggest that serows did not avoid habitats with high densities of sika deer.

Mutualism supports biodiversity when the direct competition is weak

A key question of theoretical ecology is which properties of ecosystems favour their stability and help maintaining biodiversity. This question recently reconsidered mutualistic systems, generating intense controversy about the role of mutualistic interactions and their network architecture. Here we show analytically and verify with simulations that reducing the effective interspecific competition and the propagation of perturbations positively influences structural stability against environmental perturbations, enhancing persistence. Noteworthy, mutualism reduces the effective interspecific competition only when the direct interspecific competition is weaker than a critical value. This critical competition is in almost all cases larger in pollinator networks than in random networks with the same connectance. Highly connected mutualistic networks reduce the propagation of environmental perturbations, a mechanism reminiscent of MacArthur’s proposal that ecosystem complexity enhances stability. Our analytic framework rationalizes previous contradictory results, and it gives valuable insight on the complex relationship between mutualism and biodiversity.

Contrasting Daily and Seasonal Activity and Movement of Sympatric Elk and Cattle

Elk (Cervus elaphus L.) and cattle (Bos taurus L.) co-occur on rangelands throughout western North America. Literature regarding range relations between elk and cattle, however, is contradictory, describing interspecific competition in some cases and complementary or facilitative relations in others. A better understanding of how sympatric elk and cattle behave at fine spatiotemporal scales is needed to properly allocate resources for these species. We used intensively sampled Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking data (1-sec intervals) to classify elk and cattle behavior and investigate their activity and movement strategies in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon, United States, during summer and fall 2007. An ensemble classification approach was used to identify stationary, foraging, and walking behavior classes within the GPS datasets of mature beef and captive elk cows grazing in forested pastures during two randomized experiments, one in summer and the other fall. During summer, elk traveled farther per day, had larger walking budgets, exhibited more and longer walking bouts, and had higher walking velocities than beef cows. Cattle tended to emphasize intensive foraging over extensive movement and thus displayed larger foraging budgets and longer foraging bouts than elk. Site-by-species interactions, however, were detected for some foraging responses. During fall, when forage quality was limiting, elk exhibited a more foraging-centric mobility strategy while cattle emphasized an energy conservation strategy. These differing movement and energetic strategies tended to support the concept that elk and cattle occupy differing behavioral niches. Extensive foraging by elk and intensive foraging by cattle during summer correspond well with behaviors expected for elk searching out forbs in graminoid-dominated habitats and cattle foraging intensively on graminoids. Behaviors exhibited in the fall were consistent with elk continuing to exercise more selectivity among the available forage than cattle. These differing strategies, consequently, would moderate the potential for direct interspecific competition during summer and fall.

The effect of direct interspecific competition on patch exploitation strategies in parasitoid wasps.

The presence of competitors may affect the pay-off of individuals' foraging strategies. They should therefore modify their resource exploitation decisions accordingly. In such a direct competition situation, theory predicts that individuals should stay longer on a resource patch than when foraging alone. However, models predicting patch residence time focus on intraspecific competition without agonistic interactions. Here, we investigate the patch use strategies of females of two parasitoid species, Eupelmus vuilleti and Dinarmus basalis, attacking the same host, Callosobruchus maculatus, knowing that D. basalis is more aggressive and can exclude E. vuilleti during pairwise contests for single hosts. Our results showed that time allocation and oviposition strategies differed in relation to the species and type of competition (i.e., presence/absence of competitor, simultaneous/sequential female introduction or resident/intruder female). Eupelmus vuilleti females tended to wait in the patch surroundings for D. basalis females' departure to return and exploit hosts parasitized by the opponent (after destruction of her eggs). In contrast, D. basalis females tended to self-superparasitize and stay motionless near the hosts. After detecting an E. vuilleti female entering the patch, they attacked and chased her permanently from the patch. Females of both species spent less time in the patch when faced with a competitor than when alone. This study is the first to test the influence of direct interspecific competition and arrival order on patch exploitation strategies in parasitoid species, and highlights the necessity to include agonistic behaviors in theoretical models predicting optimal patch residence time in competitive situations.

Spatial and seasonal population dynamics of sympatric Jassa species (Crustacea, Amphipoda)

Marine fouling communities are often characterised by dense aggregations of tube-building amphipod species of the genus Jassa. Although some species of this genus coexist in high densities, the development and relationships of sympatric populations are largely unknown. The current field study tested for the effects of exposure duration, seasonality and spatial heterogeneity on community composition, population structure and recruitment of three coexisting Jassa species. The establishment and succession of Jassa-dominated fouling communities on artificial substratum (PVC panels) were studied over two one-year periods off the island of Helgoland (German Bight, North Sea). At different seasonal times, and for different periods of time, panels were exposed at three stations: an exposed station (near water surface), a benthic station in 10m water depth, and a sheltered station (near water surface). Jassa falcata was the dominant species at the benthic station in 10m water depth, whereas Jassa marmorata and Jassa herdmani were more abundant on panels which were positioned near the water surface (exposed and sheltered station). The two latter species showed higher abundances at the exposed than at the sheltered station, although J. marmorata was always clearly the dominant species. The differences in the spatial distribution patterns of the three species may partly result from direct interspecific competition for space. Populations of all three Jassa species exhibited strong temporal changes in both abundances and population structure (sex ratio, proportions of reproductively active individuals, male morphs), most likely caused by seasonal factors. Rapid colonisation of free artificial surfaces was observed nearly throughout the year. Intensity of colonisation, however, followed a distinct seasonal pattern with a maximum in the summer months. Recruitment probably occurred via drifting juveniles which originated from amphipod communities in the surroundings. The observed differences among the species may mainly reflect adaptations to different environmental conditions. These differences, however, may also contribute to a stable long-term coexistence via some degree of resource partitioning along with ‘intermediate disturbance’ events.

The form of direct interspecific competition modifies secondary extinction patterns in multi‐trophic food webs

Forcibly removing species from ecosystems has important consequences for the remaining assemblage, leading to changes in community structure, ecosystem functioning and secondary (cascading) extinctions. One key question that has arisen from single‐ and multi‐trophic ecosystem models is whether the secondary extinctions that occur within competitive communities (guilds) are also important in multi‐trophic ecosystems? The loss of consumer–resource links obviously causes secondary extinction of specialist consumers (topological extinctions), but the importance of secondary extinctions in multi‐trophic food webs driven by direct competitive exclusion remains unknown. Here I disentangle the effects of extinctions driven by basal competitive exclusion from those caused by trophic interactions in a multi‐trophic ecosystem (basal producers, intermediate and top consumers). I compared food webs where basal species either show diffuse (all species compete with each other identically: no within guild extinctions following primary extinction) or asymmetric competition (unequal interspecific competition: within guild extinctions are possible). Basal competitive exclusion drives extra extinction cascades across all trophic levels, with the effect amplified in larger ecosystems, though varying connectance has little impact on results. Secondary extinction patterns based on the relative abundance of the species lost in the primary extinction differ qualitatively between diffuse and asymmetric competition. Removing asymmetric basal species with low (high) abundance triggers fewer (more) secondary extinctions throughout the whole food web than removing diffuse basal species. Rare asymmetric competitors experience less pressure from consumers compared to rare diffuse competitors. Simulations revealed that diffuse basal species are never involved in extinction cascades, regardless of the trophic level of a primary extinction, while asymmetric competitors were. This work highlights important qualitative differences in extinction patterns that arise when different assumptions are made about the form of direct competition in multi‐trophic food webs.

Interference from long-tailed finches constrains reproduction in the endangered Gouldian finch

1. Interspecific interference competition for nest-sites among cavity-nesting birds can have important effects on reproductive fitness and the distribution of competing species. 2. We observed interference at nest-sites in free-living populations of the endangered Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) and sympatric long-tailed finch (Poephila acuticauda), and also experimentally tested the relative strength and effect of interference at nest-sites in captive populations. 3. Levels of competitive interference at nest-sites in the wild were high for Gouldian, but not long-tailed finches, and interference frequency was inversely related to Gouldian finch reproductive success. High levels of interference conferred reduced fledging success but did not affect offspring condition. 4. Captive experiments corroborated the field data, also demonstrating fitness costs of interspecific competition, and that long-tailed finches dominated resources under standardized conditions. 5. Such asymmetrical competition dynamics are likely to constrain reproduction in Gouldian finch populations, potentially affecting recruitment and hindering the recovery of remaining populations of this endangered species.

Multivariate characterisation of the habitats of seven species of Malayan mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae)

Mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae) are amphibious gobies. The occurrence and habitats of seven sympatric species of Malayan mudskippers were recorded: Boleophthalmusboddarti, Boleophthalmuspectinirostris, Periophthalmodon schlosseri, Periophthalmus chrysospilos, Periophthalmus gracilis, Periophthalmus variabilis and Scartelaos histophorus. A total of 14 surveys were made at six localities along 120 km of the west coast of the Malay Peninsula in August 1996 and September 2006. A multivariate set of ordinal parameters were used to measure the quantity of environmental water in mudskippers’ habitats, and three guilds of species were discriminated. The resulting pattern mirrored the adaptive scenario depicted by physiological and anatomical studies of mudskippers’ terrestriality, although in one case a terminal taxon was less terrestrial than other more basal ones. Differentiation of trophic niches may also play a role in habitat selection by the herbivorous Boleophthalmus spp., which were only found in unvegetated, illuminated areas and on wet mud at low tide. With the more terrestrial guild, a significant negative co-occurrence suggested direct interspecific competition.

Effects of salinity on competitive interactions between two Juncus species

A glasshouse study investigated the effect of salinity on growth and competitive interactions between two closely related rush species, an Australian native ( Juncus kraussii) and an exotic ( J. acutus) species. Overall, both species exhibited decreases in height and total biomass with increasing salinity, although tolerance of J. acutus was marginally lower. We observed asymmetric responses at each salinity, due to the presence of the other species. In fresh-water, co-presence of J. kraussii facilitated the growth (increases in height and total biomass) of J. acutus. However, at 10 ppt salinity direct interspecific competition with J. kraussii adversely affected total biomass of J. acutus. When grown with J. acutus, at 5 ppt but not at 10 ppt, salinity reduced total biomass of J. kraussii. We suggest that interspecific interactions vary with salinity, dependant on relative salinity tolerance of each species. It would appear that in areas receiving regular fresh-water inputs, which reduce salinity stress, J. acutus has the potential to displace J. kraussii.

Aggressive Interactions in Swan GeeseAnser cygnoidesand their Hybrids

Abstract. Evidence for direct interspecific competition in wildfowl and between hybrids and their parent species is scarce. This study examined threat displays and agonistic encounters (n = 324) in a goose flock of 140 Swan Geese and 13 hybrids with Greylag Goose living in Heidelberg, SW Germany. In general, agonistic behaviour made up less than 1% of the time budget throughout the year as measured by focal animal sampling. Most encounters (84%) were won by the initiator, both in Swan Geese and in hybrids. No difference was found between Swan Geese and hybrids in the outcome of an encounter, suggesting equal competitive quality. There were differences with respect to threat postures with hybrids performing diagonal neck threats more often and intentional movements less often. This seems to be related to their hybrid origin, since Greylag Geese most often show diagonal neck and forward threat displays. There was no direct evidence for hybrid superiority or inferiority.

HIGH POTENTIAL FOR COMPETITION BETWEEN GUANACOS AND SHEEP IN PATAGONIA

Guanacos (Lama guanicoe) are the largest native Artiodactyl in South America and the most widely distributed. In arid Patagonia, densities are low and negatively related to domestic sheep numbers in space and time consistent with interspecific competition theory. Although guanacos and domestic sheep have been described as intermediate feeders sharing food resources, no studies have been conducted to compare their diets in sympatric conditions and explore whether the potential exists for direct interspecific competition. We assessed the diet of both species across 9 different sites and 2 seasons by microhistological analysis of fecal samples. We found that (1) guanacos and sheep are generalist herbivores feeding on a wide range of plant species; (2) both are intermediate feeders able to include both monocotyledoneous and dicotyledoneous plants in their diet; (3) both are able to change their diets seasonally; and (4) food niche overlap is high, particularly in summer when food resources are more scarce than in spring. We conclude that the potential for competition between guanacos and sheep is high and could have played a major role in the demise of guanacos. Consequently, current management practices focused on maximizing sheep numbers are not compatible with the recovery of guanaco populations.

Uniform persistence for sigmoidal diet selection with keystone prey species

In this paper we discuss uniform persistence (UP) criteria of two prey- one predator systems, where we consider that the predator's diet selection is a sigmoidal function of the most profitable prey type in place of a step function of conventional diet choice theory. We also derive UP results of the system with direct interspecific competition between the prey. The role of the most profitable prey item as a keystone species, the magnitude of its carrying capacity, the ability to withstand predation of both prey species, and the ratios of their profitability values (to predators) are important to whether or not adaptive foraging may promote UP. In general, foraging decision rules play no role in UP if the alternative prey item is the keystone species. The result is also not affected by the effect of direct competitive coexistence or dominance relationship of the prey. In some cases, dominance of one of the prey species provides the most advantageous situation for ensuring UP.

Community‐wide character displacement in Miocene hyaenas

Recent studies have found regularities in the pattern of distribution of dental parameters such as canine or carnassial length among sympatric carnivores. These regularities are taken to be indicative of community-wide character displacement. This study documents similar patterns in late Miocene and earliest Pliocene hyaenids from several localities in Eurasia and Africa. Statistical tests show ratios of lower carnassial total lengths and blade lengths between species to be suggestively equal among sympatric late Miocene hyaenas. Other measurements do not show this regular pattern. This finding mirrors that regarding modern canids in the Middle East, suggesting that a process leading to community-wide character displacement was in effect among these hyaenid taxa. Their response to this pattern suggests that they occupied a similar ecological role to modern canids. The causal basis for such a process is unknown but is suggested to lie in direct interspecific competition between carnivores rather than being a response to regularly spaced features of the environment.Character displacement, competition, Hyaenidae, Miocene, Eurasia, Africa.

The distribution of two species of alpheid shrimp, Alpheus edwardsii and A. Lobidens, on a tropical beach

Alpheus edwardsii Audouin and Alpheus lobidens de Man (Crustacea: Decapoda: Alpheidae) are two intertidal snapping shrimp that burrow in association with rocks. They are morphologically similar and are often found in the same intertidal zone. The competitive exclusion theory states that two co-existing species must partition resources. The partitioning of food items as a resource appears unlikely, as gut content analyses revealed that the two species have similar diets and the relationship of shrimp condition and shrimp density indicates that food supply was not in limited supply. Instead the two species partition the resources of space within the intertidal zone, and shelter. The two species were found to exist largely in isolation from each other. Alpheus edwardsii occurred across much of the intertidal zone. Within this range A. edwardsii were most abundant in substrata with a low proportion (<50%) of mud. These substrata are better suited to their elaborate method of burrow construction. The simpler burrow construction method of A. lobidens allows this species the potential to occupy a wide range of substratum types; however, they were found only in muddy substrata with substantial surface rock cover at tidal elevations of 1.18m above datum or below. The restriction of A. lobidens to this region of the intertidal zone is probably related, in part, to their physiological requirements. In regions of co-occurrence, A. lobidens were significantly smaller than A. edwardsii, and utilized smaller rocks as shelters, thus avoiding direct interspecific competition for this resource. The absence of large A. lobidens from these areas may reflect their ability to procure shelter in competition with A. edwardsii, as behavioural experiments conducted in this study found that A. edwardsii were the dominant competitors for this resource.

Habitat selection of three chrysomelid species associated with Rumex spp.

Habitat selection of three chrysomelid beetles feeding on the Rumex plants was studied in relation to the ecological requirements of the three species and the habitat characteristics arising in their unstable and often unpredictable environment. The different ecological requirements and bionomic characteristics of the three chrysomelids were associated not only with their differing degrees of feeding specialization; they also influenced habitat selection. For example, the small body size and lower food demands of Mantura clavareaui, which is a feeding specialist, allowed it to exploit any habitat, irrespective of habitat size and duration. The other specialist, Gastrophysa atrocyanea, selected larger habitats because of the relatively brief lifespan of its adults after overwintering, its reduced mortality, and greater food demand. On the other hand, Galerucella vittaticollis, which is a multivoltine, general feeder, selected the habitat that lasted longer, rather than one that was larger. This species' life cycle is not synchronized with Rumex phenology, but its adults are long-lived and it has a flexible life cycle. The different patterns in habitat selection among these three chrysomelids prevented serious overlapping of their habitats; thus, the habitat overlapping of 2 or 3 species was 34.62%, that of all 3 species 3.85%. Most of the habitats utilized by Gastrophysa, however, overlapped those of the other two species, because Gastrophysa's habitat utilization range was the narrowest of the three. In Mantura, the degree of overlap with the other two species was lowest because this beetle had the broadest range of habitat utilization. On the other hand, Galerucella adjusted the temporal, rather than the spatial coordinates of its habitat usage when it occupied habitats where the other two specialists were also present. Galerucella, unlike the other two species, is multivoltine. Consequently, it was able to coexist in habitats occupied by the others by exploiting the host plants at times when the other species were numerically few, or even absent. No direct interspecific competition among adults of the three species was observed. Their different patterns of habitat selection created by their different responses to available food allowed them to coexist on Rumex without direct competition.

Predation, apparent competition, and the structure of prey communities

It is argued that alternate prey species in the diet of a food-limited generalist predator should reduce each other's equilibrial abundances, whether or not they directly compete. Such indirect, interspecific interactions are labeled apparent competition. Two examples are discussed in which an observed pattern of habitat segregation was at first interpreted as evidence for direct competition, but later interpreted as apparent competition resulting from shared predation. In order to study the consequences of predator-mediated apparent competition in isolation from other complicating factors, a model community is analyzed in which there is no direct interspecific competition among the prey. An explicit necessary condition for prey species coexistence is derived for the case of one predator feeding on many prey species. This model community has several interesting properties: (1) Prey species with high relative values for a parameter r a are “keystone” species in the community; (2) prey species can be excluded from the community by “diffuse” apparent competition; (3) large changes in the niche breadth of the predator need not correspond to large changes in predator density; (4) the prey trophic level as a whole is regulated by the predator, yet each of its constituent species is regulated by both the predator and available resources; (5) increased productivity may either increase, decrease, or leave unchanged the number of species in the community; (6) a decrease in density-independent mortality may decrease species diversity. These conclusions seem to be robust to changes in the prey growth equations and to the incorporation of predator satiation. By contrast, adding prey refugia or predator switching to the model weakens these conclusions. If the predator can be satiated or switched, the elements a ij comprising the community matrix may have signs opposite the long-term effect of j upon i. The effect of natural selection upon prey species coexistence is discussed. Unless r i , K i , and a i are tightly coupled, natural selection within prey species i will tend to decrease the equilibrial abundance of species j.

The Effect of Gizzard Shad on the Fish Population of a Small Oklahoma Lake

Abstract Estimates of the standing crop of fish in two small Oklahoma lakes were made by the short-period simultaneous mark-and-recovery method, employing wire traps. The lakes were similar in physical and chemical characteristics, and each contained bluegill, black and white crappie, redear sunfish, largemouth bass, warmouth, black bullhead, and Gambusia. The one lake which also contained gizzard shad, carp, and green sunfish was treated with rotenone to check the accuracy of the population estimate. The lake without gizzard shad had an estimated standing crop of 655 pounds per acre, 608 pounds of which was composed of desirable-sized fish. Recovery from the lake treated with rotenone indicated a standing crop of 1,043 pounds per acre but the weight of desirable-sized fish was 142 pounds per acre less than in the lake without shad. The faster growth, plumper condition, and greater average length of fishes in the lake without shad indicated that direct interspecific competition occurs between centrarchids...