Individual environmental niches in mobile organisms

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Behavioral Ecology

Background:

• Individual variation is key to ecological processes, but its role in environmental niche associations is understudied.
• Species' environmental associations are typically studied at the population level, overlooking individual differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how individual variation shapes population environmental niches.
• To document individual environmental niche variation using movement data.
• To examine the temporal consistency and configuration of individual niches.

Main Methods:

• Developed theoretical scenarios for individual variation in population niches.
• Utilized extensive movement data from 45 white storks (Ciconia ciconia).
• Analyzed 116 individual-year combinations to assess niche variation and consistency.

Main Results:

• Documented high variability in individual environmental associations among white storks.
• Found consistent individual niches over time, with moderate to strong specialization.
• Observed a nested niche pattern within populations, with a specialist-generalist gradient.

Conclusions:

• Individual niche equivalency among conspecifics is not supported.
• Individual environmental responses are critical for understanding ecological processes.
• Incorporating individual variation is essential for global change research.