The coexistence of seven sympatric fulvettas in Ailao Mountains, Ejia Town, Yunnan Province

Ji XIA; Fei WU; Wan-Zhao HU; Jian-Ling FANG; Xiao-Jun YANG

doi:10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2015.1.18

Volume 36 Issue 1

Jan. 2015

Turn off MathJax

Article Contents

Abstract

References

Zoological Research > 2015 > 36(1): 18-28. > DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2015.1.18

Ji XIA, Fei WU, Wan-Zhao HU, Jian-Ling FANG, Xiao-Jun YANG. 2015. The coexistence of seven sympatric fulvettas in Ailao Mountains, Ejia Town, Yunnan Province. Zoological Research, 36(1): 18-28. DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2015.1.18

Citation:

PDF (484 KB)

The coexistence of seven sympatric fulvettas in Ailao Mountains, Ejia Town, Yunnan Province

1 State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China;
2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
3 Shuangbai Ailaoshan Nature Reserve Management Bureau, Shuangbai, Yunnan 675107, China

Funds: This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Y201011041), the National Science and Technology Basic Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2008FY110300) and the Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province (Y103841101)

More Information

Corresponding author:
Xiao-Jun YANG
Received Date: July 01, 2014
Revised Date: September 24, 2014

Graphical Abstract

Abstract

Abstract

The coexistence of ecologically similar species sharing sympatric areas is a central issue of community ecology. Niche differentiation is required at least in one dimension to avoid competitive exclusion. From 2012-2014, by adopting the methods of mist-nets and point counts to evaluate spatial niche partitioning and morphological differentiations, we explored the coexistence mechanisms of seven sympatric fulvettas in Ailao Mountains, Ejia town, Yunnan Province, China. The microhabitats of these seven fulvettas were significantly different in elevation, roost site height and vegetation coverage, indicating a spatial niche segregation in different levels. Approximately, 90.30% of the samples were correctly classified by linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with correct rates at 91.20%-100%, except the White-browed fulvetta (Alcippe vinipectus) (65.4%) and the Streak-throated fulvetta (A. cinereiceps) (74.6%). The seven fulvettas were classified into four guilds based on their specific morphological characters, suggesting that the species in each guild use their unique feeding ways to realize resource partitioning in the overlapped areas. These finding indicate that through multi-dimensional spatial niche segregation and divergence in resource utilizing, the inter-specific competition among these seven fulvettas is minimized, whereas, coexistence is promoted.
- Fulvettas,
- Coexistence,
- Niche segregation,
- Ailao Mountains

FullText(HTML)

References (79)

References

Alatalo RV. 1981. Interspecific competition in tits Parus spp. and the goldcrest Regulus regulus: foraging shifts in multispecific flocks. Oikos, 37(3): 335-344.

Amadon D. 1943. Bird weights as an aid in taxonomy. The Wilson Bulletin, 55(3): 164-177.

Atchley WR, Gaskins CT, Anderson D. 1976. Statistical properties of ratios. I. Empirical results. Systematic Biology, 25(2): 137-148.

Bagchi S, Goyal SP, Sankar K. 2003. Niche relationships of an ungulate assemblage in a dry tropical forest. Journal of Mammalogy, 84(3): 981-988.

Barlow J, Mestre LAM, Gardner TA, Peres CA. 2007. The value of primary, secondary and plantation forests for Amazonian birds. Biological Conservation, 136(2): 212-231.

Bibby CJ, Jones M, Marsden S. 1998. Bird Surveys: Expedition Field Techniques. London: Expedition Advisory Centre, Royal Geographical Society.

Chen YS, Ye LF. 1988. Geology and geomorphy of the Ailaoshan Mountain Natural Reserve and its vicinity. In: Xu YC, Jiang HJ. Comprehensive survey of Ailaoshan Nature Reserve. Kunming: Yunnan Ethnic Press, 11-23. (in Chinese)

Chesson P. 2000. Mechanisms of maintenance of species diversity. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 31(1): 343-366.

Chiang PJ, Pei KJC, Vaughan MR, Li CF. 2012. Niche relationships of carnivores in a subtropical primary forest in southern Taiwan. Zoological Studies, 51(4): 500-511.

Crawley MJ. 2012. The R Book. 2^nd ed. West Sussex: John Wiley and Sons.

Cui P, Kang MJ, Deng WH. 2008. Foraging habitat selection by sympatric Temminck's tragopan and blood pheasant during breeding season in southwestern China. Biodiversity Science, 16(2): 143-149. (in Chinese)

Dammhahn M, Soarimalala V, Goodman SM. 2013. Trophic niche differentiation and microhabitat utilization in a species-rich montane forest small mammal community of eastern madagascar. Biotropica, 45(1): 111-118.

Davies TJ, Meiri S, Barraclough TG, Gittleman JL. 2007. Species co-existence and character divergence across carnivores. Ecology Letters, 10(2): 146-152.

Denoël M, Schabetsberger R, Joly P. 2004. Trophic specialisations in alternative heterochronic morphs. Naturwissenschaften, 91(2): 81-84.

Di Bitetti MS, Di Blanco YE, Pereira JA, Paviolo A, Pérez IJ. 2009. Time partitioning favors the coexistence of sympatric crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) and pampas foxes (Lycalopex gymnocercus). Journal of Mammalogy, 90(2): 479-490.

Fox JW. 2004. Modelling the joint effects of predator and prey diversity on total prey biomass. Journal of Animal Ecology, 73(1): 88-96.

Gao W, Yang ZJ. 1991. The relationship of mixed flock of birds in the artificial larch forest in winter. Chinese Journal of Zoology, 26(4): 9-12. (in Chinese)

Gao W, Li WC, Lü JT. 1997. The niche and competition of three woodpeckers. Journal of Northeast Normal University: Natural Science Edition, (1): 78-81. (in Chinese)

Gao X, Alvo M, Chen J, Li G. 2008. Nonparametric multiple comparison procedures for unbalanced one-way factorial designs. Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference, 138(8): 2574-2591.

Gong HS. 1994. The observation of breeding ecology of Golden-breasted Fulvetta (Alcippe chrysotis). Sichuan Journal of Zoology, 13(2): 89. (in Chinese)

Guillemain M, Fritz H, Guillon N, Simon G. 2002. Ecomorphology and coexistence in dabbling ducks: the role of lamellar density and body length in winter. Oikos, 98(3): 547-551.

Gustafsson L. 1988. Foraging behaviour of individual Coal Ttis, Parus-Ater, in relation to their age, sex and morphology. Animal Behaviour, 36(3): 696-704.

Hardin G. 1960. The competitive exclusion principle. Science, 131(3409): 1292-1297.

Hespenheide HA. 1973. Ecological inferences from morphological data. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 4(1): 213-229.

Hill BG, Lein MR. 1988. Ecological relations of sympatric black-capped and mountain chickadees in southwestern Alberta. The Condor, 90(4): 875-884.

Huang Y, Wu WG, Huang SM. 1988. The breeding babit of Grey-hooded Fulvetta (A.cinereiceps). Chinese Wildlife, 42(2): 13-15. (in Chinese)

Kaifu K, Miller MJ, Aoyama J, Washitani I, Tsukamoto K. 2013. Evidence of niche segregation between freshwater eels and conger eels in Kojima Bay, Japan. Fisheries Science, 79(4): 593-603.

Kalinoski R. 1975. Intra-and interspecific aggression in House Finches and House Sparrows. The Condor, 77(4): 375-384.

Landmann A, Winding N. 1993. Niche segregation in high-altitude Himalayan chats (Aves, Turdidae): does morphology match ecology? Oecologia, 95(4): 506-519.

Langkilde T, Shine R. 2004. Competing for crevices: interspecific conflict influences retreat-site selection in montane lizards. Oecologia, 140(4): 684-691.

Lara C, Martínez-García V, Ortiz-Pulido R, Bravo-Cadena J, Loranca S, Córdoba-Aguilar A. 2011. Temporal-spatial segregation among hummingbirds foraging on honeydew in a temperate forest in Mexico. Current Zoology, 57(1): 56-62.

Lee PY, Wang LJ, Hsu HC, Chou LS, Chen CC. 2010. Habitat selection among nesting, foraging, and singing sites of the Gray-cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe morrisonia in northeastern Taiwan. Ornithological Science, 9(2): 135-140.

Levin SA. 1970. Community equilibria and stability, and an extension of the competitive exclusion principle. The American Naturalist, 104(939): 413-423.

Li L, Zhang L, Yin JX, Liu ZC, Liu H, Wan DM. 2013. Coexistence mechanism of two species passerines in man-made nest boxes. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 13(1): 150-158. (in Chinese)

Li W, Zhou W, Zhang XY, Cao M, Zhang RG. 2006. Spring foraging sites of three pheasants at Nanhua part in Ailaoshan National Nature Reserve. Zoological Research, 27(5): 495-504. (in Chinese)

Liu DY, Wang JX, Lv PY, Chen YY. 1988. Comprehensive report on scientific exploration of the Ailaoshan Nature Reserve. In: Xu YC,Jiang HJ. Comprehensive Survey of Ailaoshan Nature Reserve. Kunming: Yunnan Ethnic Press, 1-10. (in Chinese)

Liu LH, Chen XC, Chu H, Sun JC, Zhang XA, Zhao L. 2013. Ecomorphological explanations of passerines coexistence in alpine meadow. Zoological Research, 34(3): 160-165. (in Chinese)

Liu NF, Li Y, Liu JZ. 1989. Studies of interspecific relationship between great tit and willow tit. Zoological Research, 10(4): 277-284. (in Chinese)

Liu ZS, Chao LR, Li ZG, Li T, Wang XM. 2005. Winter habitat selection of blue eared pheasant (Crossoptilon auritum) in Helan Mountain, China. Chinese Journal of Zoology, 40(2): 38-43. (in Chinese)

Loveridge AJ, Macdonald DW. 2003. Niche separation in sympatric jackals (Canis mesomelas and Canis adustus). Journal of Zoology, 259(2): 143-153.

Lucherini M, Reppucci JI, Walker RS, Villalba ML, Wurstten A, Gallardo G, Iriarte A, Villalobos R, Perovic P. 2009. Activity pattern segregation of carnivores in the high Andes. Journal of Mammalogy, 90(6): 1404-1409.

Macarthur RH. 1958. Population ecology of some warblers of northeastern coniferous forests. Ecology, 39(4): 599-619.

Martin TE. 2001. Abiotic vs. biotic influences on habitat selection of coexisting species: climate change impacts? Ecology, 82(1): 175-188.

Martínez-Freiría F, Lizana M, Do Amaral JP, Brito JC. 2010. Spatial and temporal segregation allows coexistence in a hybrid zone among two Mediterranean vipers (Vipera aspis and V. latastei). Amphibia-Reptilia, 31(2): 195-212.

Mazerolle MJ. 2013. AICcmodavg: Model selection and multimodel inference based on (Q)AIC(c), http://CRAN.R-project.org/package= AICcmodavg.

Miles DB, Ricklefs RE, Travis J. 1987. Concordance of ecomorphological relationships in three assemblages of passerine birds. The American Naturalist, 129(3): 347-364.

Munday PL, Jones GP, Caley MJ. 2001. Interspecific competition and coexistence in a guild of coral-dwelling fishes. Ecology, 82(8): 2177-2189.

Nakashizuka T. 2001. Species coexistence in temperate, mixed deciduous forests. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 16(4): 205-210.

Pagen RW, Thompson III FR, Burhans DE. 2002. A comparison of point-count and mist-net detections of songbirds by habitat and time-of-season. Journal of Field Ornithology, 73(1): 53-59.

Quillfeldt P, Masello JF, Navarro J, Phillips RA. 2013. Year-round distribution suggests spatial segregation of two small petrel species in the South Atlantic. Journal of Biogeography, 40(3): 430-441.

R Core Team. 2013. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing

Rappole JH, Winker K, Powell GVN. 1998. Migratory bird habitat use in southern Mexico: Mist Nets versus Point Counts. Journal of Field Ornithology, 69(4): 635-643.

Richards SA, Nisbet RM, Wilson WG, Possingham HP. 2000. Grazers and diggers: exploitation competition and coexistence among foragers with different feeding strategies on a single resource. The American Naturalist, 155(2): 266-279.

Salewski V, Bairlein F, Leisler B. 2003. Niche partitioning of two Palearctic passerine migrants with Afrotropical residents in their West African winter quarters. Behavioral Ecology, 14(4): 493-502.

Schoener TW. 1974. Resource partitioning in ecological communities. Science, 185(4145): 27-39.

Schoener TW. 1983. Field experiments on interspecific competition. The American Naturalist, 122(2): 240-285.

Schuett GW, Hardy DL, Greene HW, Earley RL, Grober MS, Van Kirk EA, Murdoch WJ. 2005. Sympatric rattlesnakes with contrasting mating systems show differences in seasonal patterns of plasma sex steroids. Animal Behaviour, 70(2): 257-266.

Song YJ. 1983. Study of breeding habit of the Coal Tit (Parus ater). Acta Ecologica Sinica, 3(4): 399-407. (in Chinese)

Svenning JC. 1999. Microhabitat specialization in a species-rich palm community in Amazonian Ecuador. Journal of Ecology, 87(1): 55-65.

Traba J, Acebes P, Malo JE, García JT, Carriles E, Radi M, Znari M. 2013. Habitat selection and partitioning of the Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis), the Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) and the Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius cursor) in arid areas of North Africa. Journal of Arid Environments, 94: 10-17.

Tschapka M. 2004. Energy density patterns of nectar resources permit coexistence within a guild of Neotropical flower-visiting bats. Journal of Zoology, 263(1): 7-21.

Vidus-Rosin A, Lizier L, Meriggi A, Serrano-Perez S. 2012. Habitat selection and segregation by two sympatric lagomorphs: the case of European hares (Lepus europaeus) and Eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) in northern Italy. Acta Theriologica, 57(4): 295-304.

Wang XF, Tang SF, Gao PL. 1988. The mountain climate of mid-north section of the Ailao Mountains. In: Xu YC, Jiang HJ. Comprehensive Survey of Ailaoshan Nature Reserve. Kunming: Yunnan Ethnic Press, 24-34. (in Chinese)

Ward-Campbell BMS, Beamish FWH, Kongchaiya C. 2005. Morphological characteristics in relation to diet in five coexisting Thai fish species. Journal of Fish Biology, 67(5): 1266-1279.

Wen ZZ, Wang QL, Sun RY. 1998. Study of interspecific relationship of the herons. Chinese Journal of Ecology, 17(1): 27-34. (in Chinese)

Wiens JJ, Graham CH. 2005. Niche conservatism: Integrating evolution, ecology, and conservation biology. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 36: 519-539.

Wu F, Yang XJ. 2008. Application of point count method in forest birds survey. Chinese Journal of Ecology, 27(12): 2240-2244. (in Chinese)

Wu F, Yang XJ, Yang JX. 2010. Additive diversity partitioning as a guide to regional montane reserve design in Asia: an example from Yunnan Province, China. Diversity and Distributions, 16(6): 1022-1033.

Yang L, Yang XJ. 2004. The Avifauna of Yunnan, China. Vol. 2 Passeriformes. Kunming: Yunnan Science and Technology Press. (in Chinese)

Yang XN, Zhu L, Hao G, Wen AX, Sun YH. 2012. Niche separation and coexistence of two species of tits at Wawushan. Chinese Journal of Zoology, 47(4): 11-18. (in Chinese)

Ye F, Huang CM, Li HH. 2006. Study on spartial niche of seven species of colonial breeding egrets and herons of Fangcheng, Guangxi Autonomous Region. Sichuan Journal of Zoology, 25(3): 577-583. (in Chinese)

Zhao L, Zhang XA. 2004. Nest-site selection and competition coexistence of Horned Larks and Small Skylarks. Zoological Research, 25(3): 198-204. (in Chinese)

Zheng GM. 1995. Ornithology. Beijing: Beijing Normal University Press. (in Chinese)

Zheng GM. 2002. A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of the World. Beijing: Science Press. (in Chinese)

Zheng GM. 2011. A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of China. 2^nd ed. Beijing: Science Press. (in Chinese)

Zhou F. 1989. Study of breeding ecology of Grey-cheeked Fulvetta (Alcippe morrisonia). Chinese Wildlife, 52(6): 54-57. (in Chinese)

Zhou F, Fang HL. 2000. On the interspecific niche relationship between two species of wren warbler. Zoological Research, 21(1): 52-57. (in Chinese)

Zhu X, Zhang LX, Liang J, Xuan ZC. 1998. Spatial niche and interspecific relationships of Ardeidae Birds in Taigongshan Hill, Zhejiang. Zoological Research, 19(1): 45-51. (in Chinese)

Supplements (0)

Cited By

Cited by

Periodical cited type(2)

1.	Yan C, Si S, Chen HM, et al. A high-quality genome assembly of the Spectacled Fulvetta (Fulvetta ruficapilla) endemic to China. Sci Data, 2024, 11(1): 1252. DOI:10.1038/s41597-024-04094-2
2.	Kong D, Luo W, Liu Q, et al. Habitat use, preference, and utilization distribution of two crane species (Genus: Grus) in Huize National Nature Reserve, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, China. PeerJ, 2018, 6: e5105. DOI:10.7717/peerj.5105

Other cited types(0)

Get Citation

PDF

XML

Article Metrics

Article views (1103) PDF downloads (1192) Cited by(2)

	Ming-Ming ZHANG, Zhen SHEN, Guo-Qiang LIU, Xian-Feng YI. 2013: Seed caching and cache pilferage by three rodent species in a temperate forest in the Xiaoxinganling Mountains. Zoological Research, 34(E1): 5613-E. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1141.2013.E01E13
	Yunzhi YAN Yinsheng XU, Ling CHU, Shan HE, Yifeng CHEN. 2012: Age, growth and reproduction of Sarcocheilichthys nigripinnis from the Qingyi Stream in the Huangshan Mountains. Zoological Research, 33(E1-2): 25-31.
	LI Guo-Song, YANG Xian-Ming, ZHANG Hong-Yu, LI Wei. 2011: Population and distribution of western black crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor) at Ailao Mountain, Xinping, Yunnan. Zoological Research, 32(6): 675-683. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1141.2011.06675
	YANG Ting, YANG Xiao-jun, WANG Zi-jiang, LIU Lu-ming, AN Qing-yuan, ZHANG Hong-yu. 2009: Influencing Factors of Birds Captured at Night in Ailao Mountain, Xinping County, Yunnan Province. Zoological Research, 30(4): 411-417. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1141.2009.04411
	YANG Ting, WANG Zi-jiang, LIU Lu-ming, YANG Xiao-jun, AN Qing-yuan, ZHANG Hong-yu. 2009: Diversity of the Birds Captured at Night in Ailao Mountain, Xinping County, Yunnan Province. Zoological Research, 30(3): 303-310. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1141.2009.03303
	LIU Han, HAN Lian-Xian. 2008: Birds Foraging Guilds in Xujiaba Evergreen Broad-leaved Forest of Ailao Mountain. Zoological Research, 29(5): 561-568. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1141.2008.05561
	SUN Guo-zheng, FAN Peng-fei, NI Qing-yong, ANG Jian-ling, JIANG Xue-long<SUP>, </SUP>. 2007: Habitat Structure of Black Crested Gibbons (Nomascus concolor*) in Pinghe, Ailao Mountains, Yunnan. Zoological Research, 28(4): 374-382.
	WU De-lin, LUO Chen-chang. 1993: Effects of Human Activity on Community Structure of Small Mammals in Ailao Mountain. Zoological Research, 14(1): 35-41.
	HU Ke-ming. 1988: Studies on the Vertical Distribution of Hemipterous Insects at the Western of Ailao Mountain Slope. Zoological Research, 9(2): 193-200.
	WANG Zhi-jun. 1986: Preliminary Analysis on the Bird Community of the Evergreen Broadleaf Forests in the ailao Mountain,Yunnan Province. Zoological Research, 7(2): 161-166.

The coexistence of seven sympatric fulvettas in Ailao Mountains, Ejia Town, Yunnan Province