Coexistence and habitat partitioning at micro- and macro-scales of rodent species in a North African desert (Bou-Hedma National Park, Tunisia)

Traba, Juán; Casals, Pere; Broto, Ferran; Camprodón, Jordi; Giralt, David; Guixé, David; Mechergui, Rania; Rios, A.I.; Sales, Sergi; Taull, Marc Taull; Ammari, Youssef; Solano, David; Bota, Gérard

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.04.002

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(85 reference statements)

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“…12 This gerbil displays a nocturnal lifestyle and inhabits a wide range of natural to anthropized habitats on sandy substrate: dunes, sandy-loamy plains, wadi edges, fields and wasteland, gardens, cattle enclosures, and dwellings, 1,7,13 but prefers sandy soil habitats. 14,15 Burrows (15-25 cm depth) serve as microclimates, food reserves (more than 1 m depth), and protection against predators, with entrances closed with sand during the day. 7,8 Nutrition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in research on the biology of the desert rodent Gerbillus tarabuli: a review

et al. 2022

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Selection of the appropriate species and strain of laboratory animals are among the scientist’s major concerns. Tarabul’s gerbil ( Gerbillus tarabuli) is a small, seasonally breeding, desert rodent native to Africa. Despite its unique biological features, which make it an ideal model candidate for biomedical research, only a few reports have used it in research. Hence, the present review aims to provide more data about this species, covering all aspects of its biology, such as taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, ecology, wildlife biology, molecular biology, physiology, neurobiology, genetics, reproduction, development, evolutionary biology, and conservation biology, and covers current progress in exploration of G. tarabuli, discussing its valuable characteristics, which are widely useful for research in various fields. This review paper is destined for biologists, scientists, mammologists, zoologists, academics, and students.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in research on the biology of the desert rodent Gerbillus tarabuli: a review

et al. 2022

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“…For example, the sympatric seabirds, the common murre Uria aalge and the razorbill Alca torda , partition their overlapping niches using spatial segregation and differences in foraging behaviour [ 10 ]. Similarly, desert rodents in North Africa use separate microhabitats for grazing and protection from predators, which are mediated by the floristic composition of the vegetation [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental variables influence patterns of mammal co-occurrence following introduced predator control

Kanishka,

Blanchard,

Lavery

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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Co-occurring species often overlap in their use of resources and can interact in complex ways. However, shifts in environmental conditions or resource availability can lead to changes in patterns of species co-occurrence, which may be exacerbated by global escalation of human disturbances to ecosystems, including conservation-directed interventions. We investigated the relative abundance and co-occurrence of two naturally sympatric mammal species following two forms of environmental disturbance: wildfire and introduced predator control. Using 14 years of abundance data from repeat surveys at long-term monitoring sites in south-eastern Australia, we examined the association between a marsupial, the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula, and a co-occurring native rodent, the bush rat Rattus fuscipes. We asked: In a fox-controlled environment, are the abundances of common brushtail possums and bush rats affected by environmental disturbance and each other’s presence? Using Bayesian regression models, we tested hypotheses that the abundance of each species would vary with changes in environmental and disturbance variables, and that the negative association between bush rats and common brushtail possums was stronger than the association between bush rats and disturbance. Our analyses revealed that bush rat abundance varied greatly in relation to environmental and disturbance variables, whereas common brushtail possums showed relatively limited variation in response to the same variables. There was a negative association between common brushtail possums and bush rats, but this association was weaker than the initial decline and subsequent recovery of bush rats in response to wildfires. Using co-occurrence analysis, we can infer negative relationships in abundance between co-occurring species, but to understand the impacts of such associations, and plan appropriate conservation measures, we require more information on interactions between the species and environmental variables. Co-occurrence can be a powerful and novel method to diagnose threats to communities and understand changes in ecosystem dynamics.

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“…Inhabiting the fringes of the Sahara Desert, the indigenous fauna in DNP must optimise resource partitioning especially between competing sympatric herbivores (Ostfeld & Keesing, 2000; Traba et al, 2016) and carnivores (Karssene, Chammem, & Nouira, 2019) to cope with low resource availability, predation risk and harsh climatic conditions (Illius & O'Connor, 2000; Kittle et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Daily and seasonal activity patterns of the dorcas gazelle, scimitar‐horned oryx, north‐African ostrich and canids in an arid habitat

et al. 2022

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North Africa's megafauna has developed behavioural adaptations to reduce energetic and fitness costs under harsh arid land conditions. Animal behaviour and activity patterns are difficult to study in the wild, but remote camera traps provide a solution to collecting data without the presence of a researcher influencing outcomes. Here, we report results from a study comprising over 20,382 camera-trap days during a 34-month period in Dghoumes National Park, Tunisia. We aimed to evaluate temporal activity patterns and their overlap and explore opportunities for niche partitioning. Our focal species were the reintroduced scimitar-horned oryx, north-African ostrich, dorcas gazelles and extant regional top-order predators, African wolf and red fox. We found differences in activity patterns between seasons across the

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Coexistence and habitat partitioning at micro- and macro-scales of rodent species in a North African desert (Bou-Hedma National Park, Tunisia)

Cited by 9 publications

References 39 publications

Advances in research on the biology of the desert rodent Gerbillus tarabuli: a review

Advances in research on the biology of the desert rodent Gerbillus tarabuli: a review

Environmental variables influence patterns of mammal co-occurrence following introduced predator control

Daily and seasonal activity patterns of the dorcas gazelle, scimitar‐horned oryx, north‐African ostrich and canids in an arid habitat

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