However, in addition to inter-specific differences, many species also show marked trait differences between the sexes, such as body size, morphological traits, feeding or micro–habitat utilisation 4, 5, 6. As such, it is now well recognized that species coexistence is, at least partially, facilitated by the partitioning of resources such as food and space 1. Our findings imply that trophic specialisation at both the intra- and inter-specific level is partly driven by basal food resource availability.Įmpirical studies of resource competition routinely show that niche differences promote coexistence in nature 1, 2, 3. Intra-specific specialisation was particularly evident in the omnivorous copepod species. Resource partitioning also varied between species and sexes, over the hydroperiod with intra- and inter-specific specialisation relating to resource availability. We show that basal food resource heterogeneity increases over time initially, and then decreases towards the end of the hydroperiod, reflective of the expected evolution of trophic complexity for these systems. Using closely related key organisms from an ephemeral pond, we test for differences in isotopic signatures between two species of copepod and between sexes within each species, in relation to heterogeneity of basal food resources over the course of the ponds hydroperiod. Here we test aspects of resource partitioning at the inter- and intra-specific level, in relation to resource availability in an atypical aquatic environment using an isotope approach. Resource availability is, however, highly variable in space and time and as such the extent of resource partitioning must be somewhat dependent on availability. It is generally accepted that organisms that naturally exploit an ecosystem facilitate coexistence, at least partially, through resource partitioning.
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