Carnivore Niche Partitioning in a Human Landscape

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Wildlife Conservation
• Behavioral Ecology

Background:

• Carnivores minimize competitive overlap by adjusting space, time, or resource use.
• Understanding carnivore community dynamics in human-dominated landscapes is crucial but lacks established rules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To simultaneously quantify niche axis overlap in a simple carnivore community (Puma concolor, Lycalopex culpaeus, Lycalopex griseus) within a human-dominated landscape.
• To investigate the influence of humans and domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) on native carnivore spatial, temporal, and dietary partitioning.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous quantification of spatial, temporal, and dietary overlap among native carnivores and domestic dogs.
• Assessment of niche partitioning strategies in a mixed carnivore community including apex, mesocarnivore, and small carnivore species.
• Analysis of human and domestic carnivore activity patterns and diets in relation to native species.

Main Results:

• Dominant native carnivores negatively impacted subordinate species' space use, creating opportunities for smaller carnivores.
• Native carnivores exhibited nocturnal activity with high temporal overlap, contrasting with diurnal humans and dogs.
• High dietary overlap existed among native carnivores, while domestic dogs were trophically decoupled due to human subsidies.

Conclusions:

• In human-modified landscapes, spatial partitioning becomes the primary mechanism for native carnivore coexistence.
• Temporal and dietary partitioning among native carnivores can be constrained in areas with significant human presence and domestic animals.
• Findings offer insights into carnivore community dynamics and competition in human-altered environments.