Dietary diversity and niche partitioning of carnivores across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of China using DNA metabarcoding
Abstract Understanding predator guild resource use is vital for carnivore species preservation and ecosystem function in high-altitude landscapes. We describe the dietary composition, similarity, and niche overlap for seven carnivore species across three regions of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (Qilia...
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2022
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac044 https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-pdf/103/5/1005/46331802/gyac044.pdf |
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croxfordunivpr:10.1093/jmammal/gyac044 2024-09-09T19:35:48+00:00 Dietary diversity and niche partitioning of carnivores across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of China using DNA metabarcoding Hacker, Charlotte E Cong, Wei Xue, Yadong Li, Jia Zhang, Yu Wu, Liji Ji, Yunrui Dai, Yunchuan Li, Ye Jin, Lixiao Li, Diqiang Zhang, Jingyu Janecka, Jan E Zhang, Yuguang Jezkova, Tereza National Scientific Research Institution National Key R&D Program of China Snow Leopard Conservancy Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Asia Seeds Grant Panthera Corporation & The Andrew Sabin Family Foundation Chicago Zoological Society Chicago Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac044 https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-pdf/103/5/1005/46331802/gyac044.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) https://academic.oup.com/pages/standard-publication-reuse-rights Journal of Mammalogy volume 103, issue 5, page 1005-1018 ISSN 0022-2372 1545-1542 journal-article 2022 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac044 2024-08-27T04:15:50Z Abstract Understanding predator guild resource use is vital for carnivore species preservation and ecosystem function in high-altitude landscapes. We describe the dietary composition, similarity, and niche overlap for seven carnivore species across three regions of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (Qilian Shan, East Burhanbuda Mountain, Yushu) using DNA metabarcoding of 760 scat samples. Analyses found 33 unique prey items representative of the classes Mammalia, Aves, and Actinopterygii. Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) and pika (Ochotona sp.) were most frequently detected. Livestock in carnivore diets ranged from 4% to 7% depending on site, but accounted for 21.7% of Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus) diet. Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata), Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul), and snow leopard (Panthera uncia) had highly uneven diets. Intraguild predation of mesocarnivores by apex carnivores was found. Analysis of dietary niche overlap using Pianka’s index showed that overlap was significantly greater than expected among all carnivores examined and between apex and mesocarnivores, though significant correlations between carnivore body mass and prey body mass suggested broad separation in consumed prey. Snow leopard and Tibetan wolf diets were consistently the most similar of any two given species pairs. This study provides evidence of high dietary overlap. Protection for species consumed by a wide variety of carnivores will benefit predator guilds in the area and assist in maintaining the relatively low frequency of livestock predation. This work provides insight into the dynamics of carnivore guilds living in an area that has worldwide impacts, and methods herein could be applied on global scales for conservation efforts. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus Lynx Lynx lynx lynx Oxford University Press Journal of Mammalogy |
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Oxford University Press |
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croxfordunivpr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Understanding predator guild resource use is vital for carnivore species preservation and ecosystem function in high-altitude landscapes. We describe the dietary composition, similarity, and niche overlap for seven carnivore species across three regions of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (Qilian Shan, East Burhanbuda Mountain, Yushu) using DNA metabarcoding of 760 scat samples. Analyses found 33 unique prey items representative of the classes Mammalia, Aves, and Actinopterygii. Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) and pika (Ochotona sp.) were most frequently detected. Livestock in carnivore diets ranged from 4% to 7% depending on site, but accounted for 21.7% of Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus) diet. Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata), Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul), and snow leopard (Panthera uncia) had highly uneven diets. Intraguild predation of mesocarnivores by apex carnivores was found. Analysis of dietary niche overlap using Pianka’s index showed that overlap was significantly greater than expected among all carnivores examined and between apex and mesocarnivores, though significant correlations between carnivore body mass and prey body mass suggested broad separation in consumed prey. Snow leopard and Tibetan wolf diets were consistently the most similar of any two given species pairs. This study provides evidence of high dietary overlap. Protection for species consumed by a wide variety of carnivores will benefit predator guilds in the area and assist in maintaining the relatively low frequency of livestock predation. This work provides insight into the dynamics of carnivore guilds living in an area that has worldwide impacts, and methods herein could be applied on global scales for conservation efforts. |
author2 |
Jezkova, Tereza National Scientific Research Institution National Key R&D Program of China Snow Leopard Conservancy Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Asia Seeds Grant Panthera Corporation & The Andrew Sabin Family Foundation Chicago Zoological Society Chicago Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hacker, Charlotte E Cong, Wei Xue, Yadong Li, Jia Zhang, Yu Wu, Liji Ji, Yunrui Dai, Yunchuan Li, Ye Jin, Lixiao Li, Diqiang Zhang, Jingyu Janecka, Jan E Zhang, Yuguang |
spellingShingle |
Hacker, Charlotte E Cong, Wei Xue, Yadong Li, Jia Zhang, Yu Wu, Liji Ji, Yunrui Dai, Yunchuan Li, Ye Jin, Lixiao Li, Diqiang Zhang, Jingyu Janecka, Jan E Zhang, Yuguang Dietary diversity and niche partitioning of carnivores across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of China using DNA metabarcoding |
author_facet |
Hacker, Charlotte E Cong, Wei Xue, Yadong Li, Jia Zhang, Yu Wu, Liji Ji, Yunrui Dai, Yunchuan Li, Ye Jin, Lixiao Li, Diqiang Zhang, Jingyu Janecka, Jan E Zhang, Yuguang |
author_sort |
Hacker, Charlotte E |
title |
Dietary diversity and niche partitioning of carnivores across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of China using DNA metabarcoding |
title_short |
Dietary diversity and niche partitioning of carnivores across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of China using DNA metabarcoding |
title_full |
Dietary diversity and niche partitioning of carnivores across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of China using DNA metabarcoding |
title_fullStr |
Dietary diversity and niche partitioning of carnivores across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of China using DNA metabarcoding |
title_full_unstemmed |
Dietary diversity and niche partitioning of carnivores across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of China using DNA metabarcoding |
title_sort |
dietary diversity and niche partitioning of carnivores across the qinghai–tibetan plateau of china using dna metabarcoding |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac044 https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-pdf/103/5/1005/46331802/gyac044.pdf |
genre |
Canis lupus Lynx Lynx lynx lynx |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus Lynx Lynx lynx lynx |
op_source |
Journal of Mammalogy volume 103, issue 5, page 1005-1018 ISSN 0022-2372 1545-1542 |
op_rights |
https://academic.oup.com/pages/standard-publication-reuse-rights |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac044 |
container_title |
Journal of Mammalogy |
_version_ |
1809905126219972608 |