Resource Partitioning of Sympatric African Wolves (<i>Canis lupaster</i>) and Side-Striped Jackals (<i>Canis adustus</i>) in an Arid Environment from West Africa
Knowledge on interference competition between species, particularly for scarce crucial resources, such as water, is a topic of increasing relevance for wildlife management given climate change scenarios. This study focuses on two sympatric canids, the African wolf and the side-striped jackal, to eva...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-12-01
|
| Series: | Diversity |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/12/477 |
| _version_ | 1827700068911677440 |
|---|---|
| author | Maria João Paúl Jorge F. Layna Pedro Monterroso Francisco Álvares |
| author_facet | Maria João Paúl Jorge F. Layna Pedro Monterroso Francisco Álvares |
| author_sort | Maria João Paúl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Knowledge on interference competition between species, particularly for scarce crucial resources, such as water, is a topic of increasing relevance for wildlife management given climate change scenarios. This study focuses on two sympatric canids, the African wolf and the side-striped jackal, to evaluate their group size and spatiotemporal activity patterns in the use of a limited resource by monitoring artificial waterholes in a semi-arid environment located in Senegal (West Africa). Remote cameras were deployed at five artificial waterholes to evaluate the number of individuals, age and activity patterns of resource use. African wolves (n = 71; 31% of all carnivore detections) and side-striped jackals (n = 104; 45%) were the most detected carnivore species. While both canids tended to occur alone at waterholes, they showed an evident monthly variation in group size. Both species showed a high activity overlap, with a bimodal activity pattern in waterhole use. However, we found evidence of unidirectional spatiotemporal avoidance, suggesting African wolves might be dominant over side-striped jackals. Our findings provide useful insights to investigate niche partitioning on the use of limited resources and have conservation implications for regions with a prolonged dry season. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:04:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bee341932d6e4c2fb380b01b5f29ca94 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:04:14Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-bee341932d6e4c2fb380b01b5f29ca942023-11-21T00:49:18ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182020-12-01121247710.3390/d12120477Resource Partitioning of Sympatric African Wolves (<i>Canis lupaster</i>) and Side-Striped Jackals (<i>Canis adustus</i>) in an Arid Environment from West AfricaMaria João Paúl0Jorge F. Layna1Pedro Monterroso2Francisco Álvares3CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalConsultores en Iniciativas Ambientales, S.L., Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales, C/Arquitectura 7, 28005 Madrid, SpainCIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalCIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalKnowledge on interference competition between species, particularly for scarce crucial resources, such as water, is a topic of increasing relevance for wildlife management given climate change scenarios. This study focuses on two sympatric canids, the African wolf and the side-striped jackal, to evaluate their group size and spatiotemporal activity patterns in the use of a limited resource by monitoring artificial waterholes in a semi-arid environment located in Senegal (West Africa). Remote cameras were deployed at five artificial waterholes to evaluate the number of individuals, age and activity patterns of resource use. African wolves (n = 71; 31% of all carnivore detections) and side-striped jackals (n = 104; 45%) were the most detected carnivore species. While both canids tended to occur alone at waterholes, they showed an evident monthly variation in group size. Both species showed a high activity overlap, with a bimodal activity pattern in waterhole use. However, we found evidence of unidirectional spatiotemporal avoidance, suggesting African wolves might be dominant over side-striped jackals. Our findings provide useful insights to investigate niche partitioning on the use of limited resources and have conservation implications for regions with a prolonged dry season.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/12/477<i>Canis lupaster</i><i>Canis adustus</i>circadian activitygroup sizewaterhole usebreeding phenology |
| spellingShingle | Maria João Paúl Jorge F. Layna Pedro Monterroso Francisco Álvares Resource Partitioning of Sympatric African Wolves (<i>Canis lupaster</i>) and Side-Striped Jackals (<i>Canis adustus</i>) in an Arid Environment from West Africa Diversity <i>Canis lupaster</i> <i>Canis adustus</i> circadian activity group size waterhole use breeding phenology |
| title | Resource Partitioning of Sympatric African Wolves (<i>Canis lupaster</i>) and Side-Striped Jackals (<i>Canis adustus</i>) in an Arid Environment from West Africa |
| title_full | Resource Partitioning of Sympatric African Wolves (<i>Canis lupaster</i>) and Side-Striped Jackals (<i>Canis adustus</i>) in an Arid Environment from West Africa |
| title_fullStr | Resource Partitioning of Sympatric African Wolves (<i>Canis lupaster</i>) and Side-Striped Jackals (<i>Canis adustus</i>) in an Arid Environment from West Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Resource Partitioning of Sympatric African Wolves (<i>Canis lupaster</i>) and Side-Striped Jackals (<i>Canis adustus</i>) in an Arid Environment from West Africa |
| title_short | Resource Partitioning of Sympatric African Wolves (<i>Canis lupaster</i>) and Side-Striped Jackals (<i>Canis adustus</i>) in an Arid Environment from West Africa |
| title_sort | resource partitioning of sympatric african wolves i canis lupaster i and side striped jackals i canis adustus i in an arid environment from west africa |
| topic | <i>Canis lupaster</i> <i>Canis adustus</i> circadian activity group size waterhole use breeding phenology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/12/12/477 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariajoaopaul resourcepartitioningofsympatricafricanwolvesicanislupasteriandsidestripedjackalsicanisadustusiinanaridenvironmentfromwestafrica AT jorgeflayna resourcepartitioningofsympatricafricanwolvesicanislupasteriandsidestripedjackalsicanisadustusiinanaridenvironmentfromwestafrica AT pedromonterroso resourcepartitioningofsympatricafricanwolvesicanislupasteriandsidestripedjackalsicanisadustusiinanaridenvironmentfromwestafrica AT franciscoalvares resourcepartitioningofsympatricafricanwolvesicanislupasteriandsidestripedjackalsicanisadustusiinanaridenvironmentfromwestafrica |