Does niche differentiation allow the sympatric congeners species coexistence in a megadiverse forest?

• Grant number: 16/21307-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2017
• End date: May 01, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Flavio Antonio Maës dos Santos
• Grantee: Kelly Fernandes de Oliveira Ribeiro
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 17/23084-6 - Does niche differentiation allow the sympatric congeners species coexistence in a megadiverse forest?, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

One of the main coexistence mechanisms is explained by niche theory and one of the approaches that have been employed to study it uses techniques that assess the spatial structure of plant populations. The aim of this study is to evaluate evidence of niche differentiation as coexistence mechanism investigating spatial patterns three congeners sympatric species in a Restinga Forest in Ubatuba-SP. In a plot of one hectare, all individuals belonging found the three species will be marked, mapped, classified in ontogenetic stages and have their diameter at soil height (DSH) measured. To evaluate how species use the resources, we collect data on environmental variables subplots of 10 x 10 m and data functional attributes of 30 adults of each species. First, analyze the spatial pattern of each ontogenetic stage of the three species and, subsequently, the associations between each stage of the three species. In the second case, we will also analyze with quantitative information DSH associated with each individual. Finally, we analyze the relationship between the density of individuals and environmental variables collected, and the interspecific variation of functional traits. If the niche differentiation is an important mechanism of coexistence: (1) the species will increase the degree of aggregation over the ontogenetic stages due to environmental filtering; (2) adults are associated with favorable environment for each species; (3) species are distributed according to the location of resources; (4) there is no influence of the proximity congeneric individuals on their size due to the absence of competition; (5) and the functional traits will differ between species. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

RIBEIRO, KELLY F. O.; MARTINS, VALERIA F.; WIEGAND, THORSTEN; SANTOS, FLAVIO A. M.. Habitat filtering drives the local distribution of congeneric species in a Brazilian white-sand flooded tropical forest. ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, v. 11, n. 4, JAN 2021. (16/21307-5, 17/23084-6)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

RIBEIRO, Kelly Fernandes de Oliveira. Coexistence mechanisms of three congeneric simpatric species in a tropical forest. 2022. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia Campinas, SP.