가리왕산에 서식하는 다람쥐(Eutamias sibiricus)와 청설모(Sciurus vulgaris)의 생태적 지위와 종간 관계의 계절적 변화

초록

Studying activity patterns of species is essential to understand their ecological strategies for survival. This study aimed to explore inter-specific interaction between the Siberian chipmunk (Eutamias sibiricus) and the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) by analyzing their activity pattern at both spatial and temporal aspects. In order to confirm whether their habitat selection interferes with each other, we examined effects of season and competition on chipmunk’s habitat selection using a camera-trapping method and zero-inflated negative binomial models. Further, we analyzed how much their temporal niche is overlapped using the Kernel density curves of their active time and the overlap coefficient. The chipmunk’s occurrence was positively influenced by squirrel’s occurrence, which implies overlap between their habitat niche. Further, temporal niches of the chipmunk and squirrel shifted across seasons, likely influenced by seasonal variation in inter-specific competition. Increased population density or activity levels during reproductive periods or fall could intensify their competition pressure, potentially leading to their temporal niche partitioning. This study highlights the dynamic nature of interspecific competition and underscores the importance of temporal niche differentiation in facilitating coexistence between sympatric species. Understanding these ecological dynamics is critical for developing conservation strategies to promote species coexistence under changing environmental conditions. Futhermore, the findings provide valuable insights for managing biodiversity and sustaining healthy forest ecosystems.

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