Implications of using different metrics for niche analysis in ecological communities

Explaining the mechanisms driving niche partitioning among species is of great importance in ecology. Unlike the fundamental niche, a species' realised niche can only be measured in situ, as a result of biotic and abiotic interactions defining its size. Following current methodology, the realis...

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Authors: Gouraguine, Adam, Melián, Carlos J., Reñones, Olga, Hinz, Hilmar, Baxter, Heather, Cardona Pascual, Luis, Moranta, Joan
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2019
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/151378
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/151378
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Esculls coral·lins
Ecologia marina
Coral reefs and islands
Marine ecology
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spelling Implications of using different metrics for niche analysis in ecological communitiesGouraguine, AdamMelián, Carlos J.Reñones, OlgaHinz, HilmarBaxter, HeatherCardona Pascual, LuisMoranta, JoanEsculls coral·linsEcologia marinaCoral reefs and islandsMarine ecologyExplaining the mechanisms driving niche partitioning among species is of great importance in ecology. Unlike the fundamental niche, a species' realised niche can only be measured in situ, as a result of biotic and abiotic interactions defining its size. Following current methodology, the realised niche of a species is often influenced by the rare and divergent individuals of the community sampled. In this study, using fish on coral and temperate reefs as an example, behavioural empirical data were collected to estimate realised niche sizes and niche overlaps. Niche measurements were made using the total area of the convex hull (TA), but as an alternative, a metric not as strongly influenced by sample size, standard ellipse area (SEA), was also used. A comprehensive description is given, and context-dependent pros and cons of using both metrics are discussed. Additionally, an alternative sample size correction was presented for both metrics. The analyses revealed large differences in the sizes of realised niches and their overlaps between species depending on the measurement metric used. Regardless of the species, niche size and overlap were always larger for TA than SEA. Increasing sample size reduced niche size variability for both TA and SEA, but the variation was always smaller for SEA than TA. We successfully adapted the SEA metric for analysis of behavioural niche components and demonstrated that measuring niche sizes using the 2 metrics, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, can produce contradictory results, the ecological consequences of which are likely to be important.Inter-Research2020202420192020info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion12 p.application/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/151378Articles publicats en revistes (Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals)reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésReproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13154Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2019, vol. 630, p. 1-12https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13154(c) Inter-Research, 2019info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:recercat.cat:2445/1513782026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Implications of using different metrics for niche analysis in ecological communities
title Implications of using different metrics for niche analysis in ecological communities
spellingShingle Implications of using different metrics for niche analysis in ecological communities
Gouraguine, Adam
Esculls coral·lins
Ecologia marina
Coral reefs and islands
Marine ecology
title_short Implications of using different metrics for niche analysis in ecological communities
title_full Implications of using different metrics for niche analysis in ecological communities
title_fullStr Implications of using different metrics for niche analysis in ecological communities
title_full_unstemmed Implications of using different metrics for niche analysis in ecological communities
title_sort Implications of using different metrics for niche analysis in ecological communities
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Gouraguine, Adam
Melián, Carlos J.
Reñones, Olga
Hinz, Hilmar
Baxter, Heather
Cardona Pascual, Luis
Moranta, Joan
author Gouraguine, Adam
author_facet Gouraguine, Adam
Melián, Carlos J.
Reñones, Olga
Hinz, Hilmar
Baxter, Heather
Cardona Pascual, Luis
Moranta, Joan
author_role author
author2 Melián, Carlos J.
Reñones, Olga
Hinz, Hilmar
Baxter, Heather
Cardona Pascual, Luis
Moranta, Joan
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Esculls coral·lins
Ecologia marina
Coral reefs and islands
Marine ecology
topic Esculls coral·lins
Ecologia marina
Coral reefs and islands
Marine ecology
description Explaining the mechanisms driving niche partitioning among species is of great importance in ecology. Unlike the fundamental niche, a species' realised niche can only be measured in situ, as a result of biotic and abiotic interactions defining its size. Following current methodology, the realised niche of a species is often influenced by the rare and divergent individuals of the community sampled. In this study, using fish on coral and temperate reefs as an example, behavioural empirical data were collected to estimate realised niche sizes and niche overlaps. Niche measurements were made using the total area of the convex hull (TA), but as an alternative, a metric not as strongly influenced by sample size, standard ellipse area (SEA), was also used. A comprehensive description is given, and context-dependent pros and cons of using both metrics are discussed. Additionally, an alternative sample size correction was presented for both metrics. The analyses revealed large differences in the sizes of realised niches and their overlaps between species depending on the measurement metric used. Regardless of the species, niche size and overlap were always larger for TA than SEA. Increasing sample size reduced niche size variability for both TA and SEA, but the variation was always smaller for SEA than TA. We successfully adapted the SEA metric for analysis of behavioural niche components and demonstrated that measuring niche sizes using the 2 metrics, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, can produce contradictory results, the ecological consequences of which are likely to be important.
publishDate 2019
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019
2020
2020
2024
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/151378
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/151378
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13154
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2019, vol. 630, p. 1-12
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13154
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv (c) Inter-Research, 2019
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv (c) Inter-Research, 2019
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 12 p.
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Inter-Research
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Inter-Research
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals)
reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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