TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schirmer, Annika
A1  - Hoffmann, Julia
A1  - Eccard, Jana
A1  - Dammhahn, Melanie
T1  - My niche
BT  - individual spatial niche specialization affects within- and between-species interactions
JF  - Proceedings of the Royal Society of London : B, Biological sciences
N2  - Intraspecific trait variation is an important determinant of fundamental ecological interactions. Many of these interactions are mediated by behaviour. Therefore, interindividual differences in behaviour should contribute to individual niche specialization. Comparable with variation in morphological traits, behavioural differentiation between individuals should limit similarity among competitors and thus act as a mechanism maintaining within-species variation in ecological niches and facilitating species coexistence. Here, we aimed to test whether interindividual differences in boldness covary with spatial interactions within and between two ecologically similar, co-occurring rodent species (Myodes glareolus, Apodemus agrarius). In five subpopulations in northeast Germany, we quantified individual differences in boldness via repeated standardized tests and spatial interaction patterns via capture-mark- recapture (n = 126) and automated VHF telemetry (n = 36). We found that boldness varied with space use in both species. Individuals of the same population occupied different spatial niches, which resulted in non-random patterns of within- and between-species spatial interactions. Behavioural types mainly differed in the relative importance of intra- versus interspecific competition. Within-species variation along this competition gradient could contribute to maintaining individual niche specialization. Moreover, behavioural differentiation between individuals limits similarity among competitors, which might facilitate the coexistence of functionally equivalent species and, thus, affect community dynamics and local biodiversity.
KW  - animal personality
KW  - competition
KW  - individual niche specialization
KW  - movement ecology
KW  - coexistence
KW  - small mammals
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.2211
SN  - 0962-8452
SN  - 1471-2954
VL  - 287
IS  - 1918
PB  - Royal Society
CY  - London
ER  -