Herbivorous mammals adjust their feeding patterns according to the abundance of available diet to adapt to the effects of grassland degradation
The degradation of grasslands on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau has severely impacted the region’s ecology and productivity, subsequently affecting the dietary niche of the region’s herbivores. Currently, little is known about the dietary strategies of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae), an important spe...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005778 |
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| author | Xin He Yutong Liu Siwei Yang Guiwen He Gang Liu Junsong Zhao |
| author_facet | Xin He Yutong Liu Siwei Yang Guiwen He Gang Liu Junsong Zhao |
| author_sort | Xin He |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The degradation of grasslands on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau has severely impacted the region’s ecology and productivity, subsequently affecting the dietary niche of the region’s herbivores. Currently, little is known about the dietary strategies of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae), an important species in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau ecosystem, or freely grazing yaks (Bos grunniens) in response to grassland degradation. Fecal samples from plateau pikas and yaks were collected from degraded grasslands in the southwestern part of the plateau. The feeding habits and interactions between plateau pikas and yaks were investigated using chloroplast trnL-P6 amplification and sequencing technology to determine how these have changed given different levels of grassland degradation. The results indicated that alterations in food resources due to grassland degradation led to significant differences in the proportions of shared food types consumed by yaks and pikas; hence, these species adjusted their dietary breadths to mitigate the adverse effects of grassland degradation. As grassland degradation intensified, the proportion of shared food types between yaks and plateau pikas increased, suggesting that grassland degradation may increase dietary competition between these two species. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4d56f92bae274d4db8bbd538117b98f0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj-art-4d56f92bae274d4db8bbd538117b98f02025-01-23T05:26:56ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942025-01-0157e03373Herbivorous mammals adjust their feeding patterns according to the abundance of available diet to adapt to the effects of grassland degradationXin He0Yutong Liu1Siwei Yang2Guiwen He3Gang Liu4Junsong Zhao5Sichuan Academy of Grassland Sciences, Chengdu 610000, China; Sichuan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Seda Grassland Ecology, Chengdu 610000, China; Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Administration's Control of Rodent Pests in the Western Sichuan Plateau Grasslands, Chengdu 610000, China; Corresponding author at: Sichuan Academy of Grassland Sciences, Chengdu 610000, China.Sichuan Academy of Grassland Sciences, Chengdu 610000, China; Sichuan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Seda Grassland Ecology, Chengdu 610000, China; Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Administration's Control of Rodent Pests in the Western Sichuan Plateau Grasslands, Chengdu 610000, ChinaSichuan Academy of Grassland Sciences, Chengdu 610000, China; Sichuan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Seda Grassland Ecology, Chengdu 610000, China; Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Administration's Control of Rodent Pests in the Western Sichuan Plateau Grasslands, Chengdu 610000, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Life Sciences, Zhaotong University, Zhaotong 657000, ChinaSichuan Academy of Grassland Sciences, Chengdu 610000, China; Sichuan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Seda Grassland Ecology, Chengdu 610000, China; Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Administration's Control of Rodent Pests in the Western Sichuan Plateau Grasslands, Chengdu 610000, ChinaCollege of Agronomy and Life Sciences, Zhaotong University, Zhaotong 657000, China; Corresponding author.The degradation of grasslands on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau has severely impacted the region’s ecology and productivity, subsequently affecting the dietary niche of the region’s herbivores. Currently, little is known about the dietary strategies of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae), an important species in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau ecosystem, or freely grazing yaks (Bos grunniens) in response to grassland degradation. Fecal samples from plateau pikas and yaks were collected from degraded grasslands in the southwestern part of the plateau. The feeding habits and interactions between plateau pikas and yaks were investigated using chloroplast trnL-P6 amplification and sequencing technology to determine how these have changed given different levels of grassland degradation. The results indicated that alterations in food resources due to grassland degradation led to significant differences in the proportions of shared food types consumed by yaks and pikas; hence, these species adjusted their dietary breadths to mitigate the adverse effects of grassland degradation. As grassland degradation intensified, the proportion of shared food types between yaks and plateau pikas increased, suggesting that grassland degradation may increase dietary competition between these two species.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005778Ochotona curzoniaeBos grunniensFeeding habitsGrassland degradationQinghai-Tibet Plateau |
| spellingShingle | Xin He Yutong Liu Siwei Yang Guiwen He Gang Liu Junsong Zhao Herbivorous mammals adjust their feeding patterns according to the abundance of available diet to adapt to the effects of grassland degradation Global Ecology and Conservation Ochotona curzoniae Bos grunniens Feeding habits Grassland degradation Qinghai-Tibet Plateau |
| title | Herbivorous mammals adjust their feeding patterns according to the abundance of available diet to adapt to the effects of grassland degradation |
| title_full | Herbivorous mammals adjust their feeding patterns according to the abundance of available diet to adapt to the effects of grassland degradation |
| title_fullStr | Herbivorous mammals adjust their feeding patterns according to the abundance of available diet to adapt to the effects of grassland degradation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Herbivorous mammals adjust their feeding patterns according to the abundance of available diet to adapt to the effects of grassland degradation |
| title_short | Herbivorous mammals adjust their feeding patterns according to the abundance of available diet to adapt to the effects of grassland degradation |
| title_sort | herbivorous mammals adjust their feeding patterns according to the abundance of available diet to adapt to the effects of grassland degradation |
| topic | Ochotona curzoniae Bos grunniens Feeding habits Grassland degradation Qinghai-Tibet Plateau |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424005778 |
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