Temporal Resource Partitioning Research Articles

Divide and conquer: Spatial and temporal resource partitioning structures benthic cyanobacterial mats.

Benthic cyanobacterial mats are increasing in abundance worldwide with the potential to degrade ecosystem structure and function. Understanding mat community dynamics is thus critical for predicting mat growth and proliferation and for mitigating any associated negative effects. Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling are the predominant forms of nutrient cycling discussed within the literature, while metabolic cooperation and viral interactions are understudied. Although many forms of nutrient cycling in mats have been assessed, the links between niche dynamics, microbial interactions, and nutrient cycling are not well described. Here, we present an updated review on how nutrient cycling and microbial community interactions in mats are structured by resource partitioning via spatial and temporal heterogeneity and succession. We assess community interactions and nutrient cycling at both intramat and metacommunity scales. Additionally, we present ideas and recommendations for research in this area, highlighting top-down control, boundary layers, and metabolic cooperation as important future directions.

Spatial and temporal resource partitioning in a mixed-species colony of avian echolocators.

Resource partitioning may facilitate the coexistence of sympatric species with similar ecological requirements. Here, we study a colony of unusual echolocating birds called swiftlets, which nest underground on an island off the coast of Singapore. The colony comprises two congeneric swiftlet species, black-nest swiftlets (Aerodramus maximus) and edible-nest swiftlets (A.fuciphagus), nesting at high densities and in close proximity. Bioacoustic recordings and monitoring of nesting biology at the site across multiple seasons revealed significant differences in echolocation calls as well as survival rates between the species, with the larger black-nest swiftlet nesting at locations with the highest fledging rates. We also observe an additional off-season breeding peak by the smaller species, the edible-nest swiftlet. Unexpectedly, off-season egg-hatching rates were significantly higher compared with the rates during the shared breeding season (mean difference=14%). Our study on the breeding biology of these echolocating cave-dwelling birds provides an example of spatial and temporal strategies that animals employ to partition resources within a confined habitat.

Temporal resource partitioning and stochastic colonization explain the co‐occurrence of gall‐inducing insects in the super‐host plant Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. (Fabaceae)

AbstractGall‐inducing insects exhibit elevated levels of oviposition and host specificity. An interesting pattern within the interaction between gall‐inducing insects and host plants is the fact that some species of plants, called super‐hosts, harbour several species of gall‐inducing insects. However, little is known about the mechanisms influencing the coexistence of gall‐inducing insects in super‐host plants. Here, we tested the mechanisms that allow the coexistence of multiple gall‐inducing insects associated with Copaifera langsdorffii Desf., a super‐host tropical tree. Specifically, we tested three non‐exclusive hypotheses: (i) Spatial niche partitioning: gall‐inducing species will inhabit distinct organs in the same plant; (ii) temporal niche partitioning: gall‐inducing insects occupy the host plant in different months, and (iii) local‐regional relationship: regional richness will be high, while local richness will be low, indicating high turnover (i.e. β‐diversity) of insects among individuals of the super‐host plant. We found no evidence that gall‐inducing insects are inhabiting distinct organs in the same host plant or that they are occurring in different vertical or horizontal strata. Furthermore, the incidence of other gall‐inducing insects has little effect on whether a given focal species is also found in the host plant. In contrast, gall‐inducing insects showed temporal resource partitioning with species occurring in two different periods. We also found a low α‐diversity with individuals of C. langisdorffii harbouring different gall species composition. Our results show that the temporal resource partitioning and the high β‐diversity among host plants are the main factors explaining the high number of gall‐inducing insects associated with C. langisdorffii.

Temporal resource partitioning mediates vertebrate coexistence at carcasses: The role of competitive and facilitative interactions

Unravelling how biodiversity is maintained despite species competition for shared resources has been a central question in community ecology, and is gaining relevance amidst the current biodiversity crisis. Yet, we have still a poor understanding of the mechanisms that regulate species coexistence and shape the structure of assemblages in highly competitive environments such as carrion pulsed resources. Here, we study how large vertebrates coexist in scavenger assemblages by adapting their diel activity at large ungulate carcasses in NW Spain. We used camera traps to record vertebrate scavengers consuming 34 carcasses of livestock and hunted wild ungulates, which allowed us to assess also differences regarding carcass origin. To evaluate temporal resource partition among species, we estimated the overlap of diel activity patterns and the mean times of each scavenger at carcasses. We recorded 16 species of scavengers, 7 mammals and 9 birds, and found similar richness at both types of carcasses. Birds and mammals showed contrasting diel activity patterns, with birds using carcasses during daytime (mean= 11:38 h) and mammals mostly at night (23:09 h). The unimodal activity patterns of scavengers showed asynchronous peaks among species. Subordinate species modified their activity patterns at carcasses used by apex species to reduce temporal overlap. Also, diel activity patterns of vultures closely followed those of corvids, suggesting facilitation processes in which corvids would enhance carcass detection by vultures. Two mammal species (12.5%) increased nocturnality at carcasses of hunted ungulates, which could be a response to human disturbance. Our results suggest that both temporal segregation and coupling mediate the coexistence of large vertebrates at carcasses. These mechanisms might lead to richer scavenger assemblages and thereby more efficient ones in driving critical ecosystem functions related to carrion consumption, such as energy and nutrient recycling and biodiversity maintenance.

Evidence for spatial and temporal resource partitioning of sharks at Roca Partida, an isolated pinnacle in the eastern Pacific

Evidence for spatial and temporal resource partitioning of sharks at Roca Partida, an isolated pinnacle in the eastern Pacific

The Determinants of Mesocarnivore Activity Patterns in Highveld Grassland and Riparian Habitats

Despite the diversity of mesocarnivores and the broad geographic ranges of these species, our understanding of their behaviour and ecology at multi-species and community levels is limited. Our study was conducted between April and mid-July 2015 and used data collected over 105 days from 39 camera traps to quantify activity patterns of sympatric mesocarnivores in riparian and grassland habitats of Telperion Nature Reserve, South Africa. A total of 13 mesocarnivore species were detected within this relatively small (∼7350 ha) reserve. Sufficient records (≥10 records) were obtained for rusty-spotted genet (Genetta maculata), black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas), otter species (African clawless otter, Aonyx capensis, and spotted-necked otter, Hydrictis maculicollis), serval (Leptailurus serval ), slender mongoose (Galerella sanguinea), yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata) and marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosus). Generalized linear models were used to investigate whether species ID, temperature, vegetation characteristics or moon phase best predicted temporal activity. To assess which species had the highest potential for competitive interaction, we also quantified the coefficient of activity overlap. Our results show that species ID and temperature were the best predictors of mesocarnivore activity. Slender and yellow mongooses displayed the highest coefficient of activity overlap (0.90), followed by marsh mongoose and rusty-spotted genet (0.80), and serval and rusty-spotted genet (0.79). These species are likely to have the highest potential for competitive interactions, but preferences for different vegetation characteristics and variations in the estimated relative abundance may point to coexistence through spatial and fine-scale temporal partitioning. The other species exhibited lower coefficients of activity overlap with each other, suggesting they may coexist through temporal partitioning of resources.

Temporal resource partitioning mitigates interspecific competition and promotes coexistence among insect parasites.

A key to understanding life's great diversity is discerning how competing organisms divide limiting resources to coexist in diverse communities. While temporal resource partitioning has long been hypothesized to reduce the negative effects of interspecific competition, empirical evidence suggests that time may not often be an axis along which animal species routinely subdivide resources. Here, we present evidence to the contrary in the world's most biodiverse group of animals: insect parasites (parasitoids). Specifically, we conducted a meta-analysis of 64 studies from 41 publications to determine if temporal resource partitioning via variation in the timing of a key life-history trait, egg deposition (oviposition), mitigates interspecific competition between species pairs sharing the same insect host. When competing species were manipulated to oviposit at (or near) the same time in or on a single host in the laboratory, competition was common, and one species was typically inherently superior (i.e. survived to adulthood a greater proportion of the time). In most cases, however, the inferior competitor could gain a survivorship advantage by ovipositing earlier (or in a smaller number of cases later) into shared hosts. Moreover, this positive (or in a few cases negative) priority advantage gained by the inferior competitor increased as the interval between oviposition times became greater. The results from manipulative experiments were also correlated with patterns of life-history timing and demography in nature: the more inherently competitively inferior a species was in the laboratory, the greater the interval between oviposition times of taxa in co-occurring populations. Additionally, the larger the interval between oviposition times of competing taxa, the more abundant the inferior species was in populations where competitors were known to coexist. Overall, our findings suggest that temporal resource partitioning via variation in oviposition timing may help to facilitate species coexistence and structures diverse insect communities by altering demographic measures of species success. We argue that the lack of evidence for a more prominent role of temporal resource partitioning in promoting species coexistence may reflect taxonomic differences, with a bias towards larger-sized animals. For smaller species like parasitic insects that are specialized to attack one or a group of closely related hosts, have short adult lifespans and discrete generation times, compete directly for limited resources in small, closed arenas and have life histories constrained by host phenology, temporal resource subdivision via variation in life history may play a critical role in allowing species to coexist by alleviating the negative effects of interspecific competition.

Temporal and spatial foraging patterns of three Asian honey bee species in Bangalore, India

Honey bees (genus Apis) are important pollinators in Asian tropical agricultural and natural ecosystems, yet the Asian species remain vastly understudied compared to the European honey bee, Apis mellifera. We studied the temporal and spatial foraging patterns of three co-occurring Asian honey bee species in Bangalore, India, to gain a better understanding of how they coexist. We found evidence for temporal resource partitioning, with Apis cerana having activity peaks in the early mornings, Apis florea initiating foraging later in the day, and Apis dorsata having the potential to do much of its foraging activity at night, even when the moon is not yet up. Apart from the established species differences in foraging ranges, we found limited evidence of spatial partitioning of the landscape. Although individual colonies foraging in parallel often focused their foraging effort on different patches, all three species preferred foraging in cultivated garden areas to seminatural or urban areas. These observations add to the growing evidence for a key role of gardens as foraging habitat for bees in cities.

Intraspecific variation in diel patterns of rocky reef use suggests temporal partitioning in Port Jackson sharks

Limited information exists about the temporal residency patterns of marine predators, especially at the individual level. Temporal partitioning of resources can reduce intra-specific competition, but this has seldom been examined in predators in marine ecosystems. Here, we used 8 years of acoustic telemetry data from 27 receivers deployed in a large coastal embayment to examine the temporal residency of 51 Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni), during their breeding season. We found that the residency lengths of male and female Port Jackson sharks on breeding reefs differed throughout the breeding season, with males showing longer residency at the start of the season and females showing longer residency at the end of the season. Port Jackson sharks also showed a 24-h or diel periodicity in their detection patterns. Although the majority of individuals were nocturnal, a small proportion of sharks was detected more frequently during the day, possibly to reduce competition for resources. Surprisingly, there was no difference in the sex ratio nor the size of diurnal and nocturnal individuals. This study provides long-term insight into the temporal residency patterns of mesopredatory sharks at a breeding site and, more broadly, our results highlight the importance of studying temporal variation at the individual level in movement ecology studies.

Temporal resource partitioning of wildebeest carcasses by scavengers after riverine mass mortality events

AbstractScavengers play an important role in nutrient recycling and disease control, and this role may be particularly critical after mass mortality events, such as those caused by epidemics, culling, or natural disasters. Current work on scavenger ecology has focused on use of single carcasses, but behaviors are likely to be different at mass mortality events, in which high resource abundance can prolong the spatial and temporal availability of carcasses. Little is currently known about how scavengers respond to large die‐offs and understanding scavenger use and succession patterns at mass mortality events has important implications for disease ecology. We used photographic time series and river‐side surveys of scavengers using carcasses to investigate scavenger use and succession on wildebeest carcasses that resulted from annual mass drownings in the Mara River, Kenya. In addition, we used telemetry data for tagged avian scavengers to assess individual use of mass drownings. Density of avian scavengers per carcass was almost two orders of magnitude lower at mass drownings than has been documented previously for single carcasses on land. Scavengers demonstrated patterns of temporal resource partitioning, with large‐bodied avian scavengers more common initially, followed by small‐bodied avian scavengers, and then by insectivorous birds and non‐avian scavengers. Avian scavengers also differed in daily activity patterns, with marabou storks more common in the morning and late afternoon and white‐backed and Rüppell’s vultures more common mid‐day. Telemetry data indicated that approximately half of tagged vultures used mass drowning events but only spent a small proportion of their time there, suggesting that competition still plays an important role in scavenger dynamics at mass mortality events and that the rewards of such abundant resources may be offset by the risk of foraging in the river. Further research on scavenger behavior during mass mortality events is needed to better understand the role of scavengers in decomposition of carcasses and disease control during these events.

Habitat use across multiple scales suggests resilience to rising seas for endangered island endemic compared to sympatric invasive species

AbstractWildlife is increasingly threatened by a suite of anthropogenic factors including climate change, habitat loss from human development, and invasive species. These threats are particularly pronounced on islands where species are more likely to go extinct. To better understand how native and invasive species on islands might respond to these threats, we compared habitat use between the endangered silver rice rat (SRR) Oryzomys palustris natator and invasive black rat Rattus rattus across multiple scales. We used a specialized camera trap design to survey rodents across the Lower Florida Keys, USA, a region vulnerable to emerging threats, such as rising sea level, and persistent threats, such as human development. Additionally, we used a novel modeling approach to investigate temporal variation in rodent activity as a function of lunar tides. Silver rice rat occurrence was greatest in regularly inundated mangroves that could potentially increase in extent as sea level rises. Black rats were widespread and often co‐occurred with SRR, but we observed temporal resource partitioning between these species, which suggests competition may be limited. Of the stressors we investigated, we conclude that contjaceinued urban development is the most substantial threat to SRR, and potentially other island species. Our results highlight island species’ disparate responses to different aspects of global change and the potential conservation opportunities that may result.

Competition interactions among stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) for Croton yucatanensis Lundell resins

Stingless bees use extrafloral resources such as resins for nest construction, defense systems and chemical communication. We conducted the first study of the resin-collecting process from Croton yucatanensis Lundell shrubs by three stingless bee species in the tropical deciduous forest of the Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica. We performed systematic observations on 10 C. yucatanensis shrubs for 10-min periods between 8:20 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. for three days, and for 90 min we focused on behavior and interaction among bees on three shrubs. Trigona corvina Cockerell was the most frequent visitor. These bees made cuts on shrub stems and leaves to collect resin and transport it in their corbiculae. Others visitor species were Trigona fulviventris Guerin and Plebeia frontalis Friese, which tried to approach the resin remains left by T. corvina. While monopolizing the resource, T. corvina behaved aggressively if approached by T. fulviventris. Towards the last hour of sampling, T. fulviventris visits increased notably, which may indicate a decrease in the dominance or aggressiveness of T. corvina at that time. This tendency seems to be the beginning of temporal resource partitioning behavior commonly observed in bee communities. We provide novel observations on the ways in which stingless bees collect resin and the interactions that occur among them. We also propose and discuss working hypotheses to explain the fact that all the individuals observed almost exclusively visited a single C. yucatanensis specimen.

Understanding Past, and Predicting Future, Niche Transitions based on Grass Flowering Time Variation.

Since their origin in the early Cretaceous, grasses have diversified across every continent on Earth, with a handful of species (rice [Oryza sativa], maize [Zea mays], and wheat [Triticum aestivum]) providing most of the caloric intake of contemporary humans and their livestock. The ecological dominance of grasses can be attributed to a number of physiological innovations, many of which contributed to shifts from closed to open habitats that incur daily (e.g. tropical mountains) and/or seasonal extremes in temperature (e.g. temperate/continental regions) and precipitation (e.g. tropical savannas). In addition to strategies that allow them to tolerate or resist periodically stressful environments, plants can adopt escape behaviors by modifying the relative timing of distinct development phases. Flowering time is one of these behaviors that can also act as a postzygotic barrier to reproduction and allow temporal partitioning of resources to promote coexistence. In this review, we explore what is known about the phylogenetic pattern of flowering control in grasses, and how this relates to broad- and fine-scale niche transitions within the family. We then synthesize recent findings on the genetic basis of flowering time evolution as a way to begin deciphering why certain aspects of flowering are seemingly so conserved, and what the implications of this are for future adaptation under climate change.

Mussels partition resources from natural waters under flowing conditions

The feeding of three co-occurring freshwater mussel species (Ptychobranchus fasciolaris, Quadrula quadrula and Potamilus alatus) of differing conservation status on river water from their collection site was examined under static and ecologically relevant flow conditions using three characteristics of the suspended river seston from a turbid river (Sydenham River, Ontario): (1) Chlorophyll a fluorescence; (2) size of fluorescent particles determined under flow cytometry; and (3) individual algal taxa identified under flow cytometry. Differences in the clearance rate (CR; water volume cleared of material per mussel and time) based on changes in chlorophyll a concentration were observed among species (P. alatus > Q. quadrula). Mussels had higher CR under flowing conditions and higher CR were observed on four of the nine algal taxa under flowing conditions. Feeding electivity analysis indicated that all mussel species selected for larger particles (28–35 μm size fraction) while rejecting smaller ones (12–19 μm). Whereas mussels did not appear to partition resources by size, mussel species exhibited resource partitioning of algal taxa (i.e., selectively feeding on different algal species; under flowing conditions: small centric diatoms were preferred by P. fasciolaris and Q. quadrula and avoided by P. alatus; Cryptomonas were preferred by P. fasciolaris and avoided by Q. quadrula and P. alatus; Chloromonas were preferred by P. alatus and avoided by P. fasciolaris). This study provides a novel mechanism, hydrodynamically mediated resource partitioning, in which the partitioning of resources occurs from within a flowing fluid rather than through the spatial or temporal partitioning of resources by organisms exploiting different microhabitats, to explain the existence of high mussel species richness within the same river reach (i.e., 24 species in this study). Unfortunately the species specific relationships noted above are likely vulnerable to climate change and changes in land use practice due to agriculture and urbanization.

Carnivore space use shifts in response to seasonal resource availability

AbstractEstimating spatial and temporal resource use and partitioning among carnivore species varies based on life history and is critical to understanding ecological relationships of sympatric carnivores and their prey. Temporal variation in food availability can have a substantial influence on distribution, foraging behavior, prey selection, and population dynamics of carnivores. We investigated shifts in space use of black bears (Ursus americanus), bobcats (Lynx rufus), coyotes (Canis latrans), and gray wolves (C. lupus) in response to seasonal availability of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns in Michigan, USA, May–August 2009–2011. We used generalized linear mixed models to identify whether probabilistic fawn space use resulted in shifts in carnivore space use from deer pre‐parturition (PPP, 1 May–24 May) to fawn limited mobility (LMP, 25 May–30 June) and social mobility (SMP, 1 July–31 August) periods. We developed a rule‐based algorithm to identify “clusters” of carnivore GPS locations and investigated carnivore clusters to identify fawn predation sites. Carnivores shifted space use among periods, but responses varied among species regarding fawn space use. Black bears selected against areas with greater fawn use during LMP and selected areas with greater fawn use during SMP. We suggest black bear space use was unrelated to fawn space use and reflected availability of vegetative forage. Bobcats selected areas with greater fawn use during LMP and SMP. Coyotes were indifferent to areas where fawns occurred during LMP but selected against areas with greater fawn use during SMP, likely foraging on alternative prey. Coyotes were spatially constrained by wolves, selecting against areas with greater wolf use during LMP and SMP. Wolves selected against areas with greater fawn use during LMP and SMP and selected areas near habitat edges and areas containing livestock carcasses. Carnivore responses to fawn white‐tailed deer distribution and vulnerability were congruent with life history strategies, resulting in space use shifts in response to temporarily abundant resources. Carnivores did not overall rely predominantly on fawns, likely shifting their space use to maximize intake of other seasonal resources. These events provide additional insight into life history strategies among co‐occurring species and dynamics of multi‐species predator–prey systems.

Effect of Temperature on Oviposition Behavior and Egg Load of Blow Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Making optimal oviposition decisions is especially important for female carrion colonizing insects whose larvae often depend on ephemeral resources. Optimal oviposition theory predicts that females should exhibit behaviors that will maximize the performance of their offspring. Oviposition can be influenced by a variety of factors, including temperature. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of temperature on the oviposition behavior and egg load of two blow fly species native to southern Ontario: Phormia regina Meigen, and Lucilia sericata Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Using fetal pig carcasses as an oviposition substrate, we assessed the length of time until the first oviposition event, preferred oviposition sites, and the total number of eggs oviposited. For each of the two species, five different temperature treatments ranging from 15 to 35°C were used. Temperature influenced time to the first oviposition event, as well as the number of eggs deposited by L. sericata and P. regina. As temperature increased, oviposition occurred faster with more eggs deposited for these two species. Female P. regina, in particular, demonstrated a higher egg load with increasing temperature. Differences in optimal temperatures for reproduction, including egg load and oviposition, may be a mechanism driving seasonal temporal resource partitioning leading to species coexistence utilizing ephemeral resources.

腐肉におけるヨツボシモンシデムシNicrophorus quadripunctatus Kraatz,アリ類およびハエ類の時間的資源分割

腐肉におけるヨツボシモンシデムシNicrophorus quadripunctatus Kraatz,アリ類およびハエ類の時間的資源分割

Intraspecific temporal resource partitioning at white-tailed deer feeding sites.

Individuals may reduce competition by temporally partitioning their use of a shared resource. Behavioral differences between sexes in ungulates may encourage segregation as individuals attempt to avoid antagonistic interactions. However, dominant sex and age groups may reduce subordinates’ access to food resources, regardless of the subordinate’s sex. We hypothesized that white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus temporally segregated at supplemental feeding sites based on social rank (subordinate: yearling males and adult females; dominant: adult males) and that segregation was affected by phase of the breeding season and diel cycle. If deer temporally segregate according to social rank, we predicted that the resulting activity patterns would manifest in one social class being relatively more susceptible to hunter-induced mortality. We used a multi-state modeling approach to quantify temporal segregation and calculated the probability that a feeding site was in a particular state during diurnal and nocturnal hours for each of the 3 phases of the breeding season. We determined that transition probabilities differed by season and diel cycle and dominant and subordinate social classes clearly avoided each other, with <1% co-occurrence at feeding sites. During the pre-breeding season, the probability of a subordinate being present during diurnal hours was 3.0× more likely than a dominant being present, but did not differ during nocturnal hours. There was no difference for dominants and subordinates during diurnal or nocturnal hours during the breeding season. In the post-breeding season, subordinates were 1.7× more likely to occur at the feeding site than a dominant during diurnal hours but they did not differ during nocturnal hours. Our results indicate that dominance status influences temporal segregation at feeding sites and is affected by the phase of the breeding season. Therefore, the resulting activity patterns may increase subordinates’ risk to human predation during the pre-breeding and post-breeding seasons.

Small populations of fig trees offer a keystone food resource and conservation benefits for declining insectivorous birds

Novel restoration approaches are required to provide food and habitat for declining bird populations, particularly as pressures increase from growing human populations and climate change. Fig (Ficus) species support many frugivores but there is a gap in our knowledge about the importance of these insect-pollinated plants to insectivores. We tested the influences of fig-population size and the number of fig-wasp-producing fruit per tree on avian-insectivore visitation to fig trees in eastern Australia over a three-year period. Eighty-four bird species visited fig trees in our study; two thirds (55) of these species were insectivores. More individual insectivores (1686) than frugivores (1051) visited fig trees (p < 0.0001). More insectivore species visited individual fig trees in small, fragmented populations (<16 fig trees) than in large populations (>50 fig trees; p = 0.016). We showed that figs provide insectivores with an important, year-round, food source. We showed that this occurred in a dry, temperate ecosystem and in a mesic, sub-tropical ecosystem. Insectivore visitation was significantly correlated with the number of ripening fig syconia and the number of emerging fig wasps but not with abundances of other insects in fig trees. Temporal resource partitioning between insectivores and frugivores was identified, with insectivores foraging as fig syconia were ripening, and frugivores foraging after syconia had fully ripened. Ficus species are very likely to provide similar keystone resources for avian insectivores throughout tropical, subtropical and temperate regions globally. This study revises our understanding of the role played by Ficus trees in supporting avian-insectivore populations.

How Guilds Build Success; Aspects of Temporal Resource Partitioning in a Warm, Temperate Climate Assemblage of Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

Succession in local dung beetle assemblages influences their delivery of ecological functions in natural and modified environments globally. Short-term changes in dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) species richness, abundance, and biomass were investigated in standardized dung pads in northern, coastal Turkey. For mean tunneling guild abundance, dung deposition time, dung exposure period, and their interaction were significant, and for mean dung dwelling guild abundance, dung exposure period was significant, as was the interaction with dung deposition time, which collectively evidenced temporal resource partitioning, based principally on differences in diel activity. Succession was highly compressed, with maximum abundance at 12 h and maximum species richness at 24 h. A large ball roller and small- to medium-sized tunnelers dominated different periods in the first 24 h but were superseded by dwellers. Regression analysis demonstrated a significant, positive relationship between species richness and the evenness of abundance for both dung deposition times. Correlation analysis generally showed strong, positive correlations between tunneling species, low correlations between tunneling and dwelling species, and low correlations between dwelling species. Niche partitioning based on size difference appears to have acted on the environmental filtering of tunneling species along the temporal gradient of declining moisture, thereby limiting the number of abundant, concurrent species. The aggregation of tunneling species provided opportunities for the less competitive dwelling species to occupy less densely populated zones termed probability refuges. The network of strong, positive habitat' correlations between tunneling species may indicate that their collective functionality is vulnerable to loss of efficiency if species are lost.