Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 10:20:00 -0400 From: "Mellard, David" <dam7@cdc.gov> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3821$foo@default> Subject: RE: Niche Concept
>I am writing a paper on environment niche concept and would like to
>include some CPs into this. Does anyone know over two species of CP
>which inhabit the same local area and are of the same genus. This
>would help me greatly as specific examples always give life to
>scientific texts.
Hi JoHn,
You're likely to a wealth of responses to your question since many of us
have been out in bogs. If I understand your question correctly you want
to know what species within the same genus occupy the same niche.
Here's some of my observations. In a bog in Miramar Beach, Florida, I
saw S. flava and S. psittacina growing side by side. The psitts,
though, seemed to be able to occupy the wetter parts of the bog, often
being found submerged in water in tracks left by machinery. The
flava's, while growing right next to the psitts, seemed to be less
likely to be found in the water flooded tracks.
I've also seen D. intermedia and D. capillaris growing side by side in
an access way. I did not notice any preference but my impression in
looking at capillaris at other sites (where I did not see itnermedia) is
that capillaris will grow further away from the wettest parts of a bog.
Maybe their long roots allow them to occupy niches that are less wet. I
suspect that intermedia may be more confined to the wetter parts of a
bog but would like to hear opinions from other people on this list.
I have seen S. minor and S. flava growing in the same field in South
Carolina without any apparent difference in what they preferred;
however, the field did not have a lot of either species. A few minors
occupied a part of the field that I have found to be under a few inches
of water during the winter, the rainy season for SC while the flavas
tended to grow again in areas that weren't as waterlogged. However, as
I said, there were not many of either to form a sure idea of
microhabitat preference. I've been told that the Okee Giant form of S.
minor grows submerged in water.
It seems to be a fine line between what some species will tolerate
versus what they prefer, sorta like us.
David
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:31:11 PST