Journal article
Seasonal activity patterns of sympatric eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) in a Midwestern metropolitan region
Urban ecosystems, Vol.25(5), pp.1527-1539
06/01/2022
DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01245-4
Abstract
Niche partitioning reduces interspecific competition, facilitating coexistence. In urban ecosystems, however, habitat loss reduces species’ ability to spatially partition activity. Temporal partitioning may thus increase in urban areas as species, unable to avoid each other spatially, partition time to avoid competition. In Midwestern US cities, eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and fox squirrels (S. niger) co-occur and compete for resources. We identified urban gray and fox squirrel activity patterns and how they vary with season, land cover, and among sites where they do and do not co-occur using camera-trap data. Both species’ activity patterns varied with season and canopy and impervious surface cover. Gray squirrel activity patterns varied in the presence of fox squirrels only in the fall, providing limited support for our temporal partitioning hypothesis. Temporal niche partitioning may thus play a role in supporting these species co-existence when competition is seasonally-elevated (e.g., fall hording), but appears less important in other seasons.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Seasonal activity patterns of sympatric eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) in a Midwestern metropolitan region
- Creators
- Rachel N. LarsonHeather A. Sander
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Urban ecosystems, Vol.25(5), pp.1527-1539
- DOI
- 10.1007/s11252-022-01245-4
- ISSN
- 1083-8155
- eISSN
- 1573-1642
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000001, name: National Science Foundation, award: 0966130
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/01/2022
- Academic Unit
- Geographical and Sustainability Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9984274550602771
Metrics
9 Record Views