Spatiotemporal Niche Differentiation of Ungulates in the Southwest Mountains, China

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Abstract
Spatiotemporal niche differentiation plays a critical role in facilitating mutual adaptation and sustaining coexistence among sympatric species. We investigated these patterns in sympatric ungulates through an infrared camera trap survey conducted in the Kazila Mountain region of southwestern China from July 2023 to May 2025. A total of seven species were recorded across 54 camera sites, with tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus) being the most frequently detected, while forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) and Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus) were the least. Nocturnality indices (β > 0.54 indicating nocturnal, β < 0.54 indicating diurnal, and β = 0.54 indicating no distinct diel preference) revealed significant differences in activity patterns among the five species. Tufted deer (β = 0.415), alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) (β = 0.438), and wild boar (Sus scrofa) (β = 0.234) were predominantly diurnal. In contrast, sambar (Rusa unicolor) (β = 0.571) was nocturnal, while the Chinese serow (Capricornis milneedwardsii) (β = 0.534) showed no strong diel preference. Nine of ten species pairs exhibited significant diel rhythm differences, with the exception of sambar-Chinese serow, and these rhythms showed marked seasonal variation, particularly in tufted deer, Chinese serow, and sambar. Temporal overlap was generally higher in the cold season for seven species pairs, suggesting that such overlap may be related to resource availability and increased interspecific competition under harsher conditions. Pianka’s overlap index (Oik) (ranging from 0 to 1, where 0 indicates no overlap and 1 indicates complete overlap) was used to assess spatial niche overlap, with values ranging from 0.16 (alpine musk deer–wild boar) to 0.86 (tufted deer–wild boar). Spatial autocorrelation and clustering analysis showed that tufted deer exhibited significant positive spatial autocorrelation, indicating a clustered high-value distribution, while the other species were randomly distributed. Spatial hotspot analysis revealed substantial overlap between tufted deer and wild boar, while the remaining species showed higher levels of spatial segregation. Collectively, these results suggest that seasonal variation in activity patterns, coupled with spatial segregation, mitigates interspecific competition and supports the stable sympatric coexistence of ungulates in this montane ecosystem.
Funding Information
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (32470516, 31900337)
  • Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (2024NSFSC2082)
  • Giant Pandas International Cooperation Foundation of State Forestry Administration
  • Innovation Team Funds of China West Normal University (KCXTD2022-7)

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