Niche characteristics of rodents by diverse disturbance in Alashan desert, Inner Mongolia, China |
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Authors: | Fu Heping Wu Xiaodong and Yang Zelong |
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Institution: | (1) College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010019, China |
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Abstract: | Four diverse disturbance types, namely, farmland, rotationally grazed grassland, overgrazed grassland and forbidden grazing
grassland, were identified in the Alashan desert region of Inner Mongolia. Rodents were sampled in April, July and October
in 2002 and 2003 using the trap-day method. Their spatial and temporal niches among the four disturbance types were assessed
using the Shannon-Wiener niche breadth index and the Pianka niche overlap index. The Shannon-Wiener niche breadth index was
the highest for Allactaga sibirica and Meriones meridianus (0.925 and 0.908, respectively), intermediate for Cricetulus eversmanni, Phodopus roborovskii and Citellus dauricus (0.789, 0.782 and 0.711, respectively), and lowest for Cardiocranius paradoxus (0.003). The Pianka niche overlap indices of six-paired species were the highest and varied from 0.900 to 1.000, suggesting
their spatial niche overlapped almost completely. Conversely, the spatial niche overlap index for Meriones unguiculatus, Cardiocranius paradoxus, and Salpingotus kozlovi was zero, thus indicating a complete absence of competition among them. In addition, the temporal niche breadth and overlap
indices varied greatly in relation to disturbance types and season. The level of temporal niche overlap in spring and autumn
was low while in summer it was high. For all disturbance types and for each season, the temporal niche overlap index of Meriones meridianus and Cricetulus barabansis was always highest but for Meriones unguiculatus and Salpingotus kozlovi always lowest.
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Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2005, 25(10): 2,637–2,643 译自: 生态学报] |
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Keywords: | rodent niche habitats disturbance desert Alashan |
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