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| Trophic niche of Brandt’s voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) and their interspecific relationships with other common rodents in a typical steppe, Inner Mongolia |
| YUE Chuang1, GUO Qianwei1, ZHANG Zhuoran2, LI Xin1, MAN Duhu1, YUAN Shuai1, FU Heping 1,3, WU Xiaodong1, JIN Guo4, LIU Jianwen5, LI Yongshan5#br# |
(1 College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Hohhot 010011, China)
(2 Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Grassland Work Station, Hohhot 010020, China)
(3 College of Life Sciences Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010011, China)
(4 Inner Mongolia East Wuzhumuqiqi Grassland Work Station, Dongwu Zhumuqin Banner 026300, China)
(5 Weather Station of Luanjingtan in Alashan League, Inner Mongolia, Alashan, Inner Mongolia 750300, China) |
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Abstract By studying the trophic niche of rodents, we can not only understand the nutrient layer occupied by rodents in the ecosystem, but also reveal their main food sources and their relationships with changes observed in rodents at different growth and development periods. In this study, 81 rodent specimens of 4 species were captured using the snap-trapping method in typical grasslands of Inner Mongolia in July 2018. The trophic niche of Brandt’s voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) and their interspecific relationship with other three common rodents, i.e., Spermophilus dauricus, Phodopus sungorus and Allactaga sibirica, were analyzed using 13C and 15N stability isotope techniques. We found a marked age-specific trophic niche in the width of bone tissue in Brandt’s voles, i.e., the Ⅲ age group had the widest with 0.802 ‰2 Bayesian standard ellipse area, followed by the Ⅱ age group with 0.699 ‰2 ellipse area, and the lowest in the Ⅳ age group with 0.666 ‰2. The trophic niche overlap commonality area among the three age groups was 0.064 ‰2, and common food sources accounted for less than 10% of all food sources. Moreover, we did not find that Brandt's voles competed for food sources with the other three rodents in either the short-term or long-term diet. However, compared with the other three rodent species, the niche width of Brandt's voles was narrower and its food selectivity was stronger. These findings suggest that if food source composition changed and was no longer suitable for Brandt's voles in their habitat, the vole might face food shortage and emigration would be a direct and favorable strategy for the development of the voles’ population.
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