Impacts of free-roaming dogs on spatiotemporal niches of native carnivores in Taiwan
Among animals of the same trophic level, niche partitioning often occurs to facilitate coexistence. However, when a new common predator appears, they may adjust their activity temporally and spatially to avoid the predator. Such changes may increase their niche overlap with each other. Dogs (Canis f...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000125 |
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| author | Hsin-Cheng Ho Tzung-Su Ding Hsiao-Wei Yuan Jo-Szu Tsai Guo-Jing Weng Yu-Hsiu Lin Hsiang Ling Chen Yu-Bo Huang Shih-Ching Yen |
| author_facet | Hsin-Cheng Ho Tzung-Su Ding Hsiao-Wei Yuan Jo-Szu Tsai Guo-Jing Weng Yu-Hsiu Lin Hsiang Ling Chen Yu-Bo Huang Shih-Ching Yen |
| author_sort | Hsin-Cheng Ho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Among animals of the same trophic level, niche partitioning often occurs to facilitate coexistence. However, when a new common predator appears, they may adjust their activity temporally and spatially to avoid the predator. Such changes may increase their niche overlap with each other. Dogs (Canis familiaris) are invasive carnivores that are distributed widely, and they pose serious threats to native mammals in Taiwan. We hypothesize that free-roaming dogs dominate spatial and temporal resources, which forces native mesocarnivores to adjust their realized niches to avoid dogs. We predict that threats from free-roaming dogs result in (1) the activity levels of native carnivores being correlated negatively with those of dogs, (2) native carnivores undergoing spatial or temporal avoidance in response to the presence of dogs, and (3) increased spatial or temporal niche overlap among native carnivores. This study covers four mesocarnivores in Taiwan: the masked palm civet (Paguma larvata), ferret badger (Melogale moschata), small Indian civet (Viverricula indica), and crab-eating mongoose (Herpestes urva). With data from 1270 camera traps, we used relative activity index (RAI), occupancy models, and kernel density estimation to analyze changes in abundance and spatiotemporal niche overlaps. A significant negative correlation was found between dog RAI and those of ferret badgers (p < 0.001) and crab-eating mongooses (p < 0.05). The ferret badgers also avoided dogs spatially (Species Interaction Factor, SIF < 1). However, crab-eating mongooses co-occurred with dogs spatially (SIF > 1), possibly due to their strong dependence on specific environments (i.e., forests around freshwater environments). We did not detect changes in spatiotemporal niche overlap among native carnivores. Variations in niche overlap may need to be observed at finer scales or across other dimensions. This study demonstrates the impact of free-roaming dogs on ferret badgers and crab-eating mongoose, which highlights the importance of conserving riparian environments from the threat of dogs. Future research that integrates other niche dimensions is necessary to better understand the impact of dogs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9888c4ef95e94ed990238b01c5a11caf |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj-art-9888c4ef95e94ed990238b01c5a11caf2025-01-23T05:27:05ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942025-01-0157e03411Impacts of free-roaming dogs on spatiotemporal niches of native carnivores in TaiwanHsin-Cheng Ho0Tzung-Su Ding1Hsiao-Wei Yuan2Jo-Szu Tsai3Guo-Jing Weng4Yu-Hsiu Lin5Hsiang Ling Chen6Yu-Bo Huang7Shih-Ching Yen8School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, No 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City 106319, TaiwanSchool of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, No 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City 106319, TaiwanSchool of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, No 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei City 106319, TaiwanDepartment of Biological Resources, National Chiayi University, No. 300, Xuefu Rd., East Dist., Chiayi City 600355, TaiwanInstitute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Shuefu Rd., Neipu Township, Pingtung County 912301, TaiwanTaiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, No. 1, Minsheng E. Rd., Jiji Township, Nantou County 552005, TaiwanDepartment of Forestry, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Rd., South Dist., Taichung City 402202, TaiwanObserver Ecological Consultant Company, 4F., No. 9, Ln. 293, Nanjing W. Rd., Datong Dist., Taipei City 103002, TaiwanCenter for General Education, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuangfu Rd., East Dist., Hsinchu City 30013, Taiwan; Corresponding author.Among animals of the same trophic level, niche partitioning often occurs to facilitate coexistence. However, when a new common predator appears, they may adjust their activity temporally and spatially to avoid the predator. Such changes may increase their niche overlap with each other. Dogs (Canis familiaris) are invasive carnivores that are distributed widely, and they pose serious threats to native mammals in Taiwan. We hypothesize that free-roaming dogs dominate spatial and temporal resources, which forces native mesocarnivores to adjust their realized niches to avoid dogs. We predict that threats from free-roaming dogs result in (1) the activity levels of native carnivores being correlated negatively with those of dogs, (2) native carnivores undergoing spatial or temporal avoidance in response to the presence of dogs, and (3) increased spatial or temporal niche overlap among native carnivores. This study covers four mesocarnivores in Taiwan: the masked palm civet (Paguma larvata), ferret badger (Melogale moschata), small Indian civet (Viverricula indica), and crab-eating mongoose (Herpestes urva). With data from 1270 camera traps, we used relative activity index (RAI), occupancy models, and kernel density estimation to analyze changes in abundance and spatiotemporal niche overlaps. A significant negative correlation was found between dog RAI and those of ferret badgers (p < 0.001) and crab-eating mongooses (p < 0.05). The ferret badgers also avoided dogs spatially (Species Interaction Factor, SIF < 1). However, crab-eating mongooses co-occurred with dogs spatially (SIF > 1), possibly due to their strong dependence on specific environments (i.e., forests around freshwater environments). We did not detect changes in spatiotemporal niche overlap among native carnivores. Variations in niche overlap may need to be observed at finer scales or across other dimensions. This study demonstrates the impact of free-roaming dogs on ferret badgers and crab-eating mongoose, which highlights the importance of conserving riparian environments from the threat of dogs. Future research that integrates other niche dimensions is necessary to better understand the impact of dogs.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000125Interspecific competitionNiche partitioningCamera trapKernel density estimationOccupancy model |
| spellingShingle | Hsin-Cheng Ho Tzung-Su Ding Hsiao-Wei Yuan Jo-Szu Tsai Guo-Jing Weng Yu-Hsiu Lin Hsiang Ling Chen Yu-Bo Huang Shih-Ching Yen Impacts of free-roaming dogs on spatiotemporal niches of native carnivores in Taiwan Global Ecology and Conservation Interspecific competition Niche partitioning Camera trap Kernel density estimation Occupancy model |
| title | Impacts of free-roaming dogs on spatiotemporal niches of native carnivores in Taiwan |
| title_full | Impacts of free-roaming dogs on spatiotemporal niches of native carnivores in Taiwan |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of free-roaming dogs on spatiotemporal niches of native carnivores in Taiwan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of free-roaming dogs on spatiotemporal niches of native carnivores in Taiwan |
| title_short | Impacts of free-roaming dogs on spatiotemporal niches of native carnivores in Taiwan |
| title_sort | impacts of free roaming dogs on spatiotemporal niches of native carnivores in taiwan |
| topic | Interspecific competition Niche partitioning Camera trap Kernel density estimation Occupancy model |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425000125 |
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