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<p>Consumptive or interference competition is observed between species inhabiting the same area and belonging to the same guild. This study compared two sympatric ungulate species, sika deer (<i>Cervus nippon</i>) and Japanese serows (<i>Capricornis crispus</i>), with respect to three major niche dimensions—habitat use, diel activity patterns, and food habits—and evaluated the extent of niche overlap with the aim of understanding the mechanisms of competition and coexistence. Camera trap surveys and dietary analyses were conducted in the cool-temperate forests of Gunma, central Japan, from July 2023 to July 2024. Generalized linear models and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) were used to evaluate the habitat use. Diel activity patterns were evaluated using circular kernel density estimation, and NMDS was used to evaluate food habits. Among the three niche dimensions, the overlap in habitat use and diet were observed, while the niche partitioning in diel activity pattern was observed between the both species. Specifically, while Japanese serows prefer steep slopes year-round, sika deer prefer gentler slopes in the non-snowy season. In addition, Japanese serows exhibited a greater diversity of forage plants, whereas sika deer exhibited a high dependence on graminoids. The differences in activity pattern, microhabitats and food resources were thought to facilitate the coexistence of the two species.</p>

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A comparison of the ecological niches between the two sympatric ungulates, sika deer and Japanese serow, in a cool-temperate forest, central Japan

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月20日

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  • Chiharu Moriguchi,
  • Naoto Habustu,
  • Hiroyuki Uno

摘要

Consumptive or interference competition is observed between species inhabiting the same area and belonging to the same guild. This study compared two sympatric ungulate species, sika deer (Cervus nippon) and Japanese serows (Capricornis crispus), with respect to three major niche dimensions—habitat use, diel activity patterns, and food habits—and evaluated the extent of niche overlap with the aim of understanding the mechanisms of competition and coexistence. Camera trap surveys and dietary analyses were conducted in the cool-temperate forests of Gunma, central Japan, from July 2023 to July 2024. Generalized linear models and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) were used to evaluate the habitat use. Diel activity patterns were evaluated using circular kernel density estimation, and NMDS was used to evaluate food habits. Among the three niche dimensions, the overlap in habitat use and diet were observed, while the niche partitioning in diel activity pattern was observed between the both species. Specifically, while Japanese serows prefer steep slopes year-round, sika deer prefer gentler slopes in the non-snowy season. In addition, Japanese serows exhibited a greater diversity of forage plants, whereas sika deer exhibited a high dependence on graminoids. The differences in activity pattern, microhabitats and food resources were thought to facilitate the coexistence of the two species.