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Niche saturation reveals resource partitioning among consumers
Tobin D Northfield1, Gretchen B Snyder, Anthony R Ives
1Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
Ecology Letters
|May 12, 2010
Summary
Diverse consumer communities exploit more resources through resource partitioning, not facilitation. Experiments show varied consumer densities reveal how species-specific competition drives resource depletion in complex ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Community Ecology
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Diverse consumer communities are known to use more resources, often attributed to resource partitioning.
- Experimentally demonstrating the role of resource partitioning in diverse communities has proven challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate the role of resource partitioning in resource exploitation by simple versus diverse communities of aphid predators.
- To differentiate between resource partitioning and facilitation as explanations for differences in resource use between simple and diverse communities.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an experimental response-surface design manipulating intra- and interspecific consumer densities.
- Compared resource exploitation patterns between simple and diverse communities of aphid predators.
- Employed statistical fitting of mechanistic models to quantify resource overlap and explain observed differences.
Main Results:
- Individual consumer species showed density-dependent resource extraction that plateaued, indicating intraspecific competition and resource partitioning.
- More diverse predator communities achieved significantly greater overall resource depletion compared to simpler communities.
- Mechanistic models statistically supported resource partitioning, rather than facilitation, as the primary driver of enhanced resource use in diverse communities.
Conclusions:
- Resource partitioning is a key mechanism driving increased resource exploitation in diverse consumer communities.
- Intraspecific competition within species plays a crucial role in resource partitioning.
- The study provides a quantitative framework for understanding resource overlap and its ecological implications in complex communities.
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