Spatial structure and niche patterns of a rodent community in the south Bukhara desert (Middle Asia)

The distribution of niches in resource space and the niche patterns of a 13 species community of Middle Asian desert rodents were studied by use of discriminant function analysis Nineteen quantitative parameters of the environment (soil structure and vegetation), measured at 600 sample plots within twenty four one ha grids, were considered The first three canonical axes of resource space account for 83% of the variance, the first axis represents a general landscape gradient from sand to clay soils, the second axis reflects a gradient of increasing productivity, and the third axis reflects a gradient of increasing protectability of the environment The distribution of niches in resource space is not even, there are two distinct spatial guilds consisting of psammophilous and sclerophilous species There is a negative correlation between niche position (distance from species centroid to the center of the resource space) and maximal population biomass At the same time there are no correlations between the niche breadth and the niche position due to the absence of species with really broad niches Rodent biomass increases along the productivity axis and reaches a peak in the middle part of the substrate axis Rodent species diversity increases along the substrate axis from sand to clay soils Changes of species diversity along productivity axis have humpshaped patterns Maximum species diversity was recorded at low level of productivity on the sandy soils and shifted to intermediate levels of productivity on sandy-loam and clay soils     

里海西北部Caspian地区草原扩大与啮齿类群落结构的变化

于1997-1999年检测了俄联邦卡尔梅克(Kalmyki)共和国ChernieZemly半干旱草原由10个物种组成的啮齿类群落。该区域的植被特点是家畜大量减少后形成的恢复植被。我们的任务之一就是了解不同啮齿动物的生境需求,以预测不同物种对环境变化的特异性反应。我们也检测了群落空间结构、生态位参数和物种多样性。逐步回归分析表明,各种啮齿动物的空间分布仅部分地决定于已知环境因子(2-6个变量)。虽然方程式具有强显著性,但决定系数R2很低,不超过18%。对于大多数种类,这种结果可由最近草原扩大而来的生境异质性降低解释。物种生境选择条件和资源的明显低水平可能是由物种对环境变化的惯性反应造成的。判别函数分析和主分量分析结果表明,群落结构以及单个物种的生态位参数在不同年间并不稳定。空间分层结构在种间中等和低重叠的高物种多样性年度表现明显。多样性、生态位组成和生态位宽度分析结果表明,不同物种对环境条件和资源变化的反应具有不同的个性化方式。同时,物种对环境动态的明显个性化反应成为物种多样性定向变化的原因。限定空间和相对单一条件下的结果表明,啮齿类α多样性与生境结构复杂性呈正相关,而与生境生产力特征呈负相关。观察表明,卡尔梅克国草原扩大伴随着初级生产力的升高和生境异质性的降低。随着时间的推移会导致大多数草原和半干旱区域啮齿类多样性的降低,并形成动物区系核心.     

Foraging niche dynamics and overlap in a guild of passerine birds in a south Swedish coniferous woodland

Summary Three foraging niche dimensions were measured at four seasons in six passerine bird species in a pine-dominated woodland. Total niche size increased in the order Certhia familiaris. In the first two species niche sizewas relatively constant at all seasons in spite of fluctuations in separatedimensions suggesting intraspecific complementarity between dimensionbreadths. Diffuse niche overlap was much lower in summer than at otherseasons in all species. Generally, this was due to movements of exploitationcurves along resource axes away from zones of interspecific overlap andto enlargement of total guild niche size, rather than to a reduction in totalniche size of the species. In some species a positive correlation was indicatedbetween breadth of niche dimension and diffuse overlap in the same dimension.Total niche size was correlated with total diffuse overlap up to acertain overlap value. Interspecific niche size complementarity was stronglysuggested by total guild niche being much less variable between seasons thanthe separate niche size of each species. The narrow niche of P. major, usuallyregarded a generalist, may be due to it being primarily adapted to broadleavedrather than coniferous woodland.     

基于两个不同资源轴上苔藓植物生态位分析

分别以群丛类型和生长基质类型(包括树生、石生、土生)作为资源轴,对小秦岭56个样方中苔藓植物的生态位特征进行分析和对比。结果表明:(1)两种资源轴上苔藓物种的生态位特征存在一定差异,不同资源轴上,苔藓物种生态位宽度排序发生一定改变。两种资源轴上,青藓属(Brachythecium)均具有较大的生态位宽度,而酸土藓属(Oxystegus)和叶苔属(Jungermania)在不同资源轴上生态位宽度差异较大。(2)对比两种资源轴上的生态位重叠值,生长基质类型明显高于群丛类型;在不同资源轴上,个别物种生态位重叠值排序还会发生明显改变。树平藓属(Homaliodendron)与金灰藓属(Pylaisiella)在两种资源轴上表现出完全相反结果。(3)与维管植物相似,生态位宽度较大的苔藓物种生态位重叠值高,生态位宽度小的苔藓物种也会有较大生态位重叠。     

缙云山大头茶(Gordonia acuminata)生态位研究

基于四川缙云山森林群落演替系列群落取样, 采用Ｌｅｖｉｎｓ 生态位宽度、Ｆｅｉｎｓｉｎｇ 和Ｓｐｅａｒｓ相似性比例生态位宽度及Ｌｅｖｉｎｓ 生态位重叠、Ｐｅｔｒａｉｔｉｓ 生态位重叠等计测公式, 对大头茶（ Ｇｏｒ ｄｏｎｉａ ａｃｕｍｉｎａｔａ） 种群的生态位特征及动态进行了研究。结果表明, 大头茶种群生态位宽度在演替系列群落中由小到大再减小, 它与缙云山森林群落其它优势乔木种群的生态位特定重叠主要表现在同针叶林中的川灰木（ Ｓｙｍｐｌｏｃｏｓ ｓｅｔｃｈｕｎｅｎｓｉｓ） 、杉木（ Ｃｕｎｎｉｎｇｈａｍｉａ ｌａｎｃｅｏｌａｔａ） 、马尾松（Ｐｉｎｕｓ ｍａｓｓｏｎｉａｎａ） 种群上; 反之, 其它优势乔木种群在大头茶种群上的生态位特定重叠在大头茶纯林中表现较显著; 从总体上, 所选１５ 个优势种群在各类群落中均不表现出显著的生态位普遍重叠。反映了大头茶种群在缙云山森林群落演替中的先锋拓殖作用, 亦为其常绿阔叶林的重要种群之一, 但它更重要的是一森林群落演替过渡类型的优势种群。     

Complex relationships between species niches and environmental heterogeneity affect species co-occurrence patterns in modelled and real communities

Species co-occurrence analysis is commonly used to assess how interspecific interactions dictate community assembly. Non-random co-occurrences, however, may also emerge from niche differences as well as environmental heterogeneity. The relationships between species co-occurrence patterns, environmental heterogeneity and species niches are not fully understood, due to complex interactions among them. To analyse the relationships among these patterns and processes, I developed synthetic community models and analysed a large dataset of tree species across the conterminous United States. Niche overlap and environmental heterogeneity had significant and contrasting effects on species co-occurrence patterns, in both modelled and real communities. Niche breadth, in turn, affected the effect sizes of both variables on species co-occurrence patterns. The effect of niche breadth on the relationship between co-occurrence and niche overlap was markedly consistent between modelled and real communities, while its effect on the relationship between co-occurrence and environmental heterogeneity was mostly consistent between real and modelled data. The results of this analysis highlight the complex and interactive effects of species niche overlap, niche breadth and environmental heterogeneity on species co-occurrence patterns. Therefore, inferring ecological processes from co-occurrence patterns without accounting for these fundamental characteristics of species and environments may lead to biased conclusions.     

Realised niche changes in a native herbivore assemblage associated with the presence of livestock

Habitat partitioning is a common ecological mechanism to avoid competition among coexisting species, and the introduction of new species into existing assemblages can increase competitive pressures. However, situations of species in allopatry and sympatry only differing in species presence but not in environmental conditions are scarce. Thus, discerning whether niche segregation arises from competition or from different habitat preferences is usually unfeasible. Here, we analyse species’ habitat niches in an assemblage of native and introduced herbivores in southern Patagonia. We test if niche overlap is higher between native and domestic herbivores than among natives as expected from the relatively short time of coexistence, and we evaluate the effect of intra‐ and interspecific competition on niche breadth. We use a probabilistic multidimensional approach and null models to evaluate overlap and changes in niche dimensions. Overlap among native species is low as expected for species coexisting in evolutionary time. In native‐domestic species pairs, niche overlap was higher than among natives, although showing some niche segregation indicating niche differentiation in ecological time. Moreover, the presence of domestic species was associated with niche narrowing of both native and introduced species, revealing interspecific density‐dependent effects on their habitat niche during resource shortage periods.     

Polyploidy associated with altered and broader ecological niches in the Claytonia perfoliata (Portulacaceae) species complex

? Premise of the study: Polyploids are often hypothesized to have distinct and broader niches than their diploid progenitors. Differences in geographic distributions between diploid and polyploids are frequently used to infer niche differentiation and increased breadth, but they are seldom used to test these hypotheses explicitly. ? Methods: Niche overlap and breadth were compared for diploids, tetraploids, and hexaploids of three taxa in the Claytonia perfoliata complex (C. parviflora, C. perfoliata, and C. rubra) with the use of species distribution models. Resampling and randomization approaches were used to test hypotheses of niche differentiation, breadth, and conservatism. ? Key results: Niche differentiation was detected between polyploid and diploid cytotypes assigned to the same taxon (e.g., C. parviflora 2× vs. 4×) but not between hexaploids and tetraploids within a taxon (e.g., C. parviflora 4× vs. 6×). Individual hexaploid cytotypes had broader ecological niches than individual diploid cytotypes. However, as a group the three hexaploid taxa did not exceed the combined niche breadth of the three diploids, suggesting that polyploidy does not result in transgressive niche breadth for this group. Niche overlap was lowest among diploids and was highest among the three hexaploid cytotypes, consistent with introgression associated with polyploidy resulting in greater ecological similarity. Although cytotypes possessed nonidentical niches, after accounting for environmental differences among ranges, cytotypes were more similar than expected, suggesting niche conservatism and similar responses to environmental characteristics. ? Conclusions: These results suggest that polyploids occupy distinct and broader niches relative to diploids but that cytotypes also share fundamentally similar responses to environmental variation across ploidy levels.     

淀山湖浮游植物优势种生态位

运用改进的Levins公式和Petraitis指数测定了淀山湖浮游植物优势种的生态位宽度和生态位重叠,分析了生态位宽度、种间生态位重叠与优势种密度和优势度的相关性.结果表明： 不同时期各优势种的生态位宽度和生态位重叠不尽相同,各物种对环境因子的适应能力存在差异.根据不同季节的生态位宽度可以将淀山湖浮游植物优势种分为4类;尖尾蓝隐藻和小球藻的生态位较宽,数量较多,分布较广,能充分利用环境资源.水华暴发时期,蓝藻门各优势种与其他藻类之间的生态位重叠程度相对偏高;铜绿微囊藻的生态位变宽,而其他优势种的生态位宽度相对有所降低.各季节优势种的优势度与其生态位宽度呈显著相关,优势种密度与生态位重叠呈极显著相关.     

Niche-habitat mechanisms and biotic interactions explain the coexistence and abundance of congeneric sandgrouse species

Ascertaining which niche processes allow coexistence between closely related species is of special interest in ecology. We quantified variations in the environmental niches and densities of two congeneric species, the pin-tailed and the black-bellied sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata and Pterocles orientalis) in allopatry and sympatry under similar abiotic, habitat and dispersal contexts to understand their coexistence. Using principal component analysis, we defined environmental gradients (niche dimensions) including abiotic, habitat and anthropogenic variables, and calculated niche breadth, position and overlap of both species in sympatry and allopatry. Additionally, sandgrouse density was modelled as a function of the niche dimensions and the density of the other species. We found evidence that each species occupies distinct environmental niches in sympatry and in allopatry. The black-bellied sandgrouse exploits a broader range of environmental conditions (wider niche breadth) while the pin-tailed sandgrouse reaches high densities where conditions seem to match its optimum. In sympatry, both species shift their niches to intermediate positions, indicating the importance of abiotic factors in setting coexistence areas. Environmental conditions determine regional densities of pin-tailed sandgrouse whereas biotic interactions explain the density of the black-bellied sandgrouse in areas with abiotic conditions similarly conducive for both species. Highly suitable areas for the pin-tailed sandgrouse fall beyond the upper thermal limit of the black-bellied sandgrouse, leading to niche segregation and low densities for the latter. Finally, local niche shift and expansion plus possible heterospecific aggregation allow the pin-tailed sandgrouse to thrive in a priori less favourable environments. This work provides insight into how different mechanisms allow species coexistence and how species densities vary in sympatry compared to allopatry as a result of environmental filtering and biotic interactions.     

Spatial structure of community of darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in the Negev Highlands, Israel

The distribution of niches in resource space of darkling beetles of Negev desert, Israel were studied using discriminant analysis Seventeen environmental variables (substrate structure and vegetation) were measured at 375 plots within 15 grids The first three discriminant axes account for 77% of the variance and reflect a soil structure gradient from sand to clay (the first axis), a gradient of increasing productivity (the second axis), and a type of vegetation architecture (the third axis) Abundance and biomass of tenebrionids increased linearly along the first, the second and the third axes Species richness and diversity had a slanting parabola shape along the substrate axis and increased along the productivity axis There were two distinct spatial guilds of tenebrionid species One guild was composed by species that preferred sandy-gravel soils, and another guild consisted of species that preferred clay soils Niche overlapping of the "sandy-gravel" species was lower than that of the "clay" species Niches of the "sandy-gravel" species were randomly distributed in the resource space Those of the "clay" species formed a tight cluster with most niches placed in the center of the space, representing the centrifugal type of organization The conformity of the guild structure with the different types of organization was supported by compansons between empirical data and stochastic models The border between these two guilds matches with proposed earlier biogeographical boundary (Ramon-Zohar line)     

Towards a trait-based quantification of species niche

Aims Although the niche concept is of prime importance in ecology, the quantification of plant species' niches remains difficult. Here we propose that plant functional traits, as determinants of species performance, may be useful tools for quantifying species niche parameters over environmental gradients.Important findings Under this framework, the mean trait values of a species determine its niche position along gradients, and intraspecific trait variability determines its niche breadth. This trait-based approach can provide an operational assessment of niche for a potentially large number of species, making it possible to understand and predict species niche shifts under environmental changes. We further advocate a promising method that recently appeared in the literature, which partitions trait diversity into among- and within-community components as a way to quantify the species niche in units of traits instead of environmental parameters. This approach allows the switch of the focus from ecological niches to trait niches, facilitating the examination of species coexistence along undefined environmental gradients. Altogether, the trait-based approach provides a promising toolkit for quantifying the species ecological niche and for understanding the evolution of species niche and traits.     

Pulsed resource availability changes dietary niche breadth and partitioning between generalist rodent consumers

Identifying the mechanisms that structure niche breadth and overlap between species is important for determining how species interact and assessing their functional role in an ecosystem. Without manipulative experiments, assessing the role of foraging ecology and interspecific competition in structuring diet is challenging. Systems with regular pulses of resources act as a natural experiment to investigate the factors that influence the dietary niches of consumers. We used natural pulses of mast‐fruiting of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) to test whether optimal foraging or competition structure the dietary niche breadth and overlap between two congener rodent species (Peromyscus leucopus and P. maniculatus), both of which are generalist consumers. We reconstructed diets seasonally over a 2‐year period using stable isotope analysis (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) of hair and of potential dietary items and measured niche dynamics using standard ellipse area calculated within a Bayesian framework. Changes in niche breadth were generally consistent with predictions of optimal foraging theory, with both species consuming more beechnuts (a high‐quality food resource) and having a narrower niche breadth during masting seasons compared to nonmasting seasons when dietary niches expanded and more fungi (a low‐quality food source) were consumed. In contrast, changes in dietary niche overlap were consistent with competition theory, with higher diet overlap during masting seasons than during nonmasting seasons. Overall, dietary niche dynamics were closely tied to beech masting, underscoring that food availability influences competition. Diet plasticity and niche partitioning between the two Peromyscus species may reflect differences in foraging strategies, thereby reducing competition when food availability is low. Such dietary shifts may have important implications for changes in ecosystem function, including the dispersal of fungal spores.     

Do selfing species have greater niche breadth? Support from ecological niche modeling

We explore the relationship between plant mating system (selfing or outcrossing) and niche breadth to gain new insights into processes that drive species distributions. Using a comparative approach with highly selfing versus highly outcrossing sister species, we test the extent to which: (1) species pairs have evolved significant niche divergence and less niche overlap, (2) selfers have wider niche breadths than outcrossers or vice versa, and (3) niches of selfers and outcrossers are defined by significant differences in environmental variables. We applied predictive ecological niche modeling approaches to estimate and contrast niche divergence, overlap and breadth, and to identify key environmental variables associated with each species’ niche for seven sister species with divergent mating systems. Data from 4862 geo-referenced herbarium occurrence records were compiled for 14 species in Collinsia and Tonella (Plantaginaceae) and 19 environmental variables associated with each record. We found sister species display significant niche divergence, though not as a function of divergence time, and overall, selfers have significantly wider niche breadths compared to their outcrossing sisters. Our results suggest that a selfing mating system likely contributes to the greater capacity to reach, reproduce, establish, and adapt to new habitats, which increases niche breadth of selfers.     

Niche properties of Central European spiders: shading, moisture and the evolution of the habitat niche

Aim  Niche theory emphasizes the importance of environmental conditions for the distribution and abundance of species. Using a macroecological approach our study aimed at identifying the important environmental gradients for spiders. We generated numerical values of niche position and niche width. We also investigated relationships between these niche properties as well as the degree of phylogenetic conservatism in order to draw conclusions about the evolution of the habitat niche.
Location  Central Europe: lowlands of Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Methods  We analysed 244 published spider communities from 70 habitat types by correspondence analysis. The resulting community scores were used to test for correlations with habitat characteristics. Species scores were used to derive niche position (mean scores) and niche width (standard deviation of scores). To test for niche conservatism we estimated variance components across the taxonomic hierarchy.
Results  The first two axes of the correspondence analysis were correlated with shading and moisture, respectively. Niche width had a hump-shaped relationship to both environmental gradients. β-diversity was strikingly higher in open habitats than in forests. Habitat niche conservatism was lower than phylogenetic conservatism in body size.
Main conclusions  Environmental factors are important drivers for the β-diversity of spiders, especially across open habitats. This underlines the importance of preserving the whole range of moisture conditions in open habitats. Narrow niches of species occurring at the ends of both environmental gradients indicate that adaptations to extreme habitats lead to constraints in ecological flexibility. Nevertheless, the habitat niche of species seems to evolve much faster than morphological or physiological traits.     

Intraspecific and interspecific competition induces density‐dependent habitat niche shifts in an endangered steppe bird

Interspecific competition is a dominant force in animal communities that induces niche shifts in ecological and evolutionary time. If competition occurs, niche expansion can be expected when the competitor disappears because resources previously inaccessible due to competitive constraints can then be exploited (i.e., ecological release). Here, we aimed to determine the potential effects of interspecific competition between the little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) and the great bustard (Otis tarda) using a multidimensional niche approach with habitat distribution data. We explored whether the degree of niche overlap between the species was a density‐dependent function of interspecific competition. We then looked for evidences of ecological release by comparing measures of niche breadth and position of the little bustard between allopatric and sympatric situations. Furthermore, we evaluated whether niche shifts could depend not only on the presence of great bustard but also on the density of little and great bustards. The habitat niches of these bustard species partially overlapped when co‐occurring, but we found no relationship between degree of overlap and great bustard density. In the presence of the competitor, little bustard's niche was displaced toward increased use of the species' primary habitat. Little bustard's niche breadth decreased proportionally with great bustard density in sympatric sites, in consistence with theory. Overall, our results suggest that density‐dependent variation in little bustard's niche is the outcome of interspecific competition with the great bustard. The use of computational tools like kernel density estimators to obtain multidimensional niches should bring novel insights on how species' ecological niches behave under the effects of interspecific competition in ecological communities.     

When do herbivorous insects compete? A phylogenetic meta‐analysis

When herbivorous insects interact, they can increase or decrease each other's fitness. As it stands, we know little of what causes this variation. Classic competition theory predicts that competition will increase with niche overlap and population density. And classic hypotheses of herbivorous insect diversification predict that diet specialists will be superior competitors to generalists. Here, we test these predictions using phylogenetic meta‐analysis. We estimate the effects of diet breadth, population density and proxies of niche overlap: phylogenetic relatedness, physical proximity and feeding‐guild membership. As predicted, we find that competition between herbivorous insects increases with population density as well as phylogenetic and physical proximity. Contrary to predictions, competition tends to be stronger between than within feeding guilds and affects specialists as much as generalists. This is the first statistical evidence that niche overlap increases competition between herbivorous insects. However, niche overlap is not everything; complex feeding guild effects indicate important indirect interactions.     

Are seed germination and ecological breadth associated? Testing the regeneration niche hypothesis with bromeliads in a heterogeneous neotropical montane vegetation

The role of seed germination in contributing to species ecological breadth and geographic distribution is still a matter of debate. Here, we attempted to relate seed germination requirements with ecological breadth in 12 bromeliad species from heterogeneous montane vegetation in southeastern Brazil. Seeds were set to germinate under both light and dark conditions at a broad range of temperatures to determine the breadth of the germination niche. We ran a RLQ analysis based on the matrices of species occurrence, environmental parameters and germination traits and found a significant association between germination traits, and the characteristics of sites where adult plants occur. The variation of germination responses to environmental factors was not random with habitat-generalist plants having broader germination niches and habitat-specialist plants having narrower germination niches. The RLQ analysis showed that substrate moisture and light environment were the most important factors correlated with germination traits. Phylogenetic niche conservatism appears to play a role in the patterns found here, especially in the Tillandsioideae. There is an association between the regeneration niche of a species and its ecological range, and this also provides support for the idea that the regeneration niche may help assemble plant species into heterogeneous, species-rich communities.     

干旱荒漠区植物生态位对水盐的响应

全球气候变化对生态系统功能的影响决定着种群地位和群落演替,由于干旱区的特殊性成为研究生物响应环境变化的热点地区。为探索艾比湖流域荒漠区植物生态位对土壤水盐梯度的响应,在研究水、盐含量和植物生态位特征的基础上,应用变系数模型,分析了土壤水盐梯度下的群落组成和生态位响应趋势。结果显示:(1)随土壤水盐梯度的降低,艾比湖流域群落的物种组成呈倒"V"型分布,说明土壤水盐交互作用影响着植被分布和群落类型。(2)高水盐环境下,胡杨(Populus euphratica)、琵琶柴(Reaumuria soongorica)和梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)等生态位宽度值(B_i)较大,柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima)、骆驼刺(Alhagi sparsifolia)和甘草(Glycyrrhiza uralensis)等B_i较小;中水盐环境下,白刺(Nitraria schoberi)和琵琶柴的B_i较大,铃铛刺(Halimodendron halodendron)、甘草和盐节木(Halocnemum strobilaceum)的B_i较小;低水盐环境下,梭梭、花花柴(Karelinia caspica)和琵琶柴等B_i较大,盐节木的B_i较小;说明土壤水盐环境和物种生态学特性是影响B_i的重要因素。(3)物种水平上,B_i较大的种群与其他物种的生态位重叠(O_(ij))一般较大,但B_i较小的物种间的O_(ij)不一定小(例如:高水盐土壤环境下柽柳和骆驼刺的O_(ij)为1);群落水平上,B_i与O_(ij)具有一定的正相关性;说明由于资源纬度的相似性增大了低B_i物种间的O_(ij),并且B_i和O_(ij)由物种向群落尺度转换时,两者之间的关系存在冗余。(4)土壤水盐梯度与群落生态幅呈现一种非线性相关特征,高水盐格局对群落B_i有一定的促进效应,而低水盐模式对B_i具有一定的限制作用,表明土壤水盐的协同效应影响着物种在群落的地位,并在一定程度上决定了群落向正负两极演替的方向。     

Effectiveness of size frequency distributions in regulating intraspecific spatial overlap of stream insects

Spatial niche breadth and overlap of size groups of four species of epilithic stream insects were studied to determine if broad size frequency distributions serve to reduce intraspecific competition for space. Mean niche overlap decreased with greater breadth of size frequency distributions for only one species (Baetis intercalaris) and did not vary in relation to population density. Similarly, the ratio of the probabilities of intergroup and intragroup encounter did not vary as a function of the breadth of size frequency distributions. Therefore, it was concluded that changes in size frequency distribution have a minimal effect on intraspecific competition for space among epilithic species. It was suggested that observed size frequency distributions may be more a function of extant environmental conditions (temperature and flow) than of previous or extant intraspecific competition.