Diel niche partitioning of a plant-hummingbird network in the Atlantic forest of Brazil

• Published in: Oecologia Vol. 201; no. 4; pp. 1025 - 1037
• Main Authors: Nieto, Andrea, Wüest, Rafael O., Graham, Catherine H., Varassin, Isabela G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.04.2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Birds; Brazil; Cameras; Community Ecology–Original Research; Competition; Ecology; Ecosystem; Feeding Behavior; Flowers; Flowers & plants; Forests; Hummingbirds; Hydrology/Water Resources; Life Sciences; Nectar; nectar secretion; Niche (Ecology); Niche overlap; Niches; Partitioning; Plant Nectar; Plant Sciences; Plant species; Plants; Plants (botany); Pollinators; Resource partitioning; Brazil; Competition; Facilitation; Nectar; Co-flowering; Interaction
• ISSN: 0029-8549; 1432-1939; 1432-1939
• DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05347-4

Niche partitioning is an important mechanism that allows species to coexist. Within mutualistic interaction networks, diel niche partitioning, i.e., partitioning of resources throughout the day, has been neglected. We explored diel niche partitioning of a plant-hummingbird network in the Brazilian Atlantic forest for nine months. To evaluate diel patterns of hummingbird visits and nectar production, we used time-lapse cameras on focal flowers and repeated nectar volume and concentration measures, respectively. Additionally, we measured flower abundance around focal flowers and flower morphological traits. We did not observe diel partitioning for either hummingbirds or plants. Instead, hummingbirds appeared to specialize in different plant species, consistent with trophic niche partitioning, potentially resulting from competition. In contrast, plant species that co-flowered and shared hummingbird visits produced nectar during similar times, consistent with facilitation. Our focus on the fine-scale temporal pattern revealed that plants and hummingbirds appear to have different strategies for promoting co-existence.