Positive fitness consequences of interspecific interaction with a potential competitor

The coexistence of species sharing mutual resources is usually thought to be limited by negative processes such as interspecific competition. This is because an overlap in resource use leads to negative fitness consequences, and traits favouring avoidance of potential competitors, for example in hab...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 2002-08, Vol.269 (1500), p.1619-1623
Main Authors: sman, J T, Seppaenen, J-T, Moenkkoenen, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal nesting
Animals
Aviculture
Biological Evolution
Bird nesting
Birds - physiology
Breeding
Competitive Behavior
Ecological competition
Ecology
Environment
Feeding Behavior
Female animals
Flycatchers
Habitat Selection
Heterospecific Attraction
Interspecific competition
Male animals
Positive Interspecific Interactions
Social Behavior
Species Coexistence
Species Specificity
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Summary:The coexistence of species sharing mutual resources is usually thought to be limited by negative processes such as interspecific competition. This is because an overlap in resource use leads to negative fitness consequences, and traits favouring avoidance of potential competitors, for example in habitat selection, are therefore selected for. However, species interactions are acknowledged to vary from negative (competition) to mutualism, although empirical evidence for positive interspecific interactions from natural communities of other than plants and sessile animals is scarce. Here, we experimentally examined the habitat selection and its fitness consequences of a migrant bird, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), in relation to the presence of competitively superior birds, resident titmice (Parus spp.). Experiments were conducted on two spatial scales: landscape and nest-site scale. We demonstrate that pied flycatchers were attracted to and accrued fitness benefits from the presence of titmice. Flycatchers breeding in tight association with titmice initiated breeding earlier, had larger broods and heavier young than solitarily breeding flycatchers. This paradoxical result indicates that species interactions may switch from negative to positive and that the coexistence of species is not always restricted by negative costs caused by other species.
ISSN:0962-8452
1471-2954
DOI:10.1098/rspb.2002.2065