Abstract
The coexistence of phylogenetically related species is an attractive topic because of the potentially intense interspecific competition. The most often investigated mechanisms mediating coexistence of these species are environmental filtering and niche partitioning. However, the role of other factors, such as species-specific parasites, is still poorly understood. Along the riparian understory of a tropical forest, we explored niche occupation and coexistence between Chrysso intervales and Helvibis longicauda, two related syntopic web-building spiders. We also investigated the effect of H. longicauda mortality induced by a specific fungus parasite, Gibellula pulchra, on the dynamic of C. intervales spatial distribution. Coexistence was mediated mainly by a fine-scale horizontal spatial segregation. H. longicauda built webs almost exclusively close to the river, while C. intervales occupied adjacent areas (10–20 m away from margins). We also found differentiation in other niche dimensions that might allow coexistence, such as in plants occupied, height of web placement, width of leaves used for thread attachment and phenology. H. longicauda mortality caused by fungi was higher during winter than in summer. Consequently, the abundance of C. intervales increased at distances close to the river, indicating competitive release through a density-mediated indirect effect. This demonstrates how non-competitive specific-antagonists can indirectly affect other non-hosts competing community members and influence their spatial distribution in fine-scale ranges. We suggest that environmental filtering restricts H. longicauda to cooler regions; niche partitioning leads populations to occupy different vertical strata and competitive exclusion precludes C. intervales to reach river margins, generating an unusual horizontal zonation pattern.
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Acknowledgements
This project was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (Proc. APQ-02104-14), Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia dos Hymenoptera Parasitoides da Região Sudeste (HYMPAR/Sudeste-CNPq/CAPES/Fapesp), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Proc. 445832/2014-2, 311823/2017-3 and student grant to J. C. F. Cardoso) and Masaryk University (student grant no. MUNI/A/1484/2014 to R. Michalko). Voucher specimens were deposited in the collection of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (curator A. J. Santos), Minas Gerais, Brazil. We also thank the Intervales State Park staff and U. C. Rezende for research support and two anonymous referees for their suggestions, which provided rich improvements on the manuscript.
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JCFC and MOG conceived the ideas and designed methodology; JCFC collected the data; JCFC and RM analysed the data; JCFC and RM wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.
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Communicated by Sven Bacher.
Specific parasites indirectly influence the spatio-temporal dynamic of other non-host competing community member. Horizontal spatial segregation may occur among spiders. This may mediate coexistence
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Cardoso, J.C.F., Michalko, R. & Gonzaga, M.O. Specific parasites indirectly influence niche occupation of non-hosts community members. Oecologia 188, 343–353 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4163-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4163-x