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Should species with the exact same niche be included in our concept of biodiversity?
Topic Started: Dec 17 2016, 10:03 PM (229 Views)
Mesopredator
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Disaster taxa
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There are twelve oystercatchers as example. There is some variability between them, sure, but I would say they have the exact same niche.

While I would disagree with devaluing them, is it fair to call twelve oystercatchers biodiversity? Why? Why not?

I am aware that in the case of oystercatchers it is easy to say they are the exact same niche, but other species less so.

You could even argue they are not the exact same niche since they are all most likely adapted to their own environments.
But I think it is understood what I mean.

You can also go the other way and enlarge biodiversity by including subspecies - if that isn't done already, I am not aware of it.
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Thalanx
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I think the best way to determine whether or not two species share a niche is to introduce both of them to the same environment.

Take, for example, Palau; a bird known as the scaly-breasted munia was introduced to the island first, and became established there. Some years later, a similar species, the black-headed munia, was introduced to the island as well. The black-headed munia quickly displaced the scaly-breasted munia, and the scaly-breasted no longer exists on Palau for this reason.

So, I suppose you could say that only one of those species should be included in our concept of biodiversity.

I have a feeling that I don't understand this thread very well, but I hope this is somehow relevant.
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Thalanx
Dec 17 2016, 10:15 PM
I think the best way to determine whether or not two species share a niche is to introduce both of them to the same environment.

Take, for example, Palau; a bird known as the scaly-breasted munia was introduced to the island first, and became established there. Some years later, a similar species, the black-headed munia, was introduced to the island as well. The black-headed munia quickly displaced the scaly-breasted munia, and the scaly-breasted no longer exists on Palau for this reason.

So, I suppose you could say that only one of those species should be included in our concept of biodiversity.

I have a feeling that I don't understand this thread very well, but I hope this is somehow relevant.
That's an interesting reply. Sort of beyond the scope of what I imagined.

But you are implying that displacement happens because of exact same niches. Can't overlap with niches do the same?

As example: a prehistoric generalist rhino in Europe was replaced by one specialist - if I remember well.
I suppose it could go the other way around as well.
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