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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / Water Use Patterns of Sympatric Przewalski’s Horse and...
PloS one2015; 10(7); e0132094; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132094

Water Use Patterns of Sympatric Przewalski’s Horse and Khulan: Interspecific Comparison Reveals Niche Differences.

Abstract: Acquiring water is essential for all animals, but doing so is most challenging for desert-living animals. Recently Przewalski's horse has been reintroduced to the desert area in China where the last wild surviving member of the species was seen before it vanished from China in the 1960s. Its reintroduction placed it within the range of a close evolutionary relative, the con-generic Khulan. Determining whether or not these two species experience competition and whether or not such competition was responsible for the extinction of Przewalski's horses in the wild over 50 years ago, requires identifying the fundamental and realized niches of both species. We remotely monitored the presence of both species at a variety of water points during the dry season in Kalamaili Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China. Przewalski's horses drank twice per day mostly during daylight hours at low salinity water sources while Khulans drank mostly at night usually at high salinity water points or those far from human residences. Spatial and temporal differences in water use enables coexistence, but suggest that Przewalski's horses also restrict the actions of Khulan. Such differences in both the fundamental and realized niches were associated with differences in physiological tolerances for saline water and human activity as well as differences in aggression and dominance.
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Publication Date: 2015-07-10 PubMed ID: 26161909PubMed Central: PMC4498657DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132094Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research investigated the water use patterns of two horse species, Przewalski’s horse and the Khulan, in the desert area of China. The study indicates differences in the way these species utilize water points, providing insight into their niche differences, coexistence and competition.

Objective and Methodology of Study

  • The main objective of the study was to identify if these two horse species experience competition and whether such competition was the cause of the extinction of Przewalski’s horses in the wild over 50 years ago.
  • To achieve this, the researchers remotely monitored the presence of both horse species at different water points during the dry season within the Kalamaili Nature Reserve in Xinjiang, China.

Findings

  • The research found that Przewalski’s horses drank twice a day, usually during daylight hours and from low salinity water sources.
  • On the other hand, the Khulans were observed to drink mostly at night and generally chose high salinity water points or those located far from human residences.

Implication of the Findings

  • The differences in the spatial and temporal water use between these species suggest that their coexistence is enabled through niche separation.
  • Additionally, the study inferred that Przewalski’s horses might restrict the actions of Khulans as the former consumed resources during the day, potentially limiting the latter’s access.
  • These variations in both their fundamental and realized niches were linked to differences in their physiological tolerance for saline water and human activity as well as their aggression and dominance levels.

Significance of the Study

  • This research provides valuable insight into how two closely related but distinct species manage their water resources in a desert area.
  • It also provides helpful clues into the environmental interactions and competitive dynamics that may have led to the initial extinction of Przewalski’s horses in the wild.
  • The findings of this study may be useful for adaptive species management, especially considering increasing desertification and resource competition due to climate change.

Cite This Article

APA
Zhang Y, Cao QS, Rubenstein DI, Zang S, Songer M, Leimgruber P, Chu H, Cao J, Li K, Hu D. (2015). Water Use Patterns of Sympatric Przewalski’s Horse and Khulan: Interspecific Comparison Reveals Niche Differences. PLoS One, 10(7), e0132094. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0132094

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 7
Pages: e0132094

Researcher Affiliations

Zhang, Yongjun
  • College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
Cao, Qing S
  • Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America; Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America.
Rubenstein, Daniel I
  • Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America.
Zang, Sen
  • College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
Songer, Melissa
  • Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America.
Leimgruber, Peter
  • Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America.
Chu, Hongjun
  • College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China; Altai Forestry Bureau, Altai, Xinjiang, China.
Cao, Jie
  • Wild Horse Breeding Center, Xinjiang Forestry Department, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
Li, Kai
  • College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
Hu, Defu
  • College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • China
  • Circadian Rhythm
  • Ecosystem
  • Geography
  • Horses
  • Species Specificity
  • Sympatry
  • Water

Conflict of Interest Statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Citations

This article has been cited 16 times.
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