Spatio-Temporal Niche Differentiation of Alpine Musk Deer, Chinese Serow, and Tufted Deer in Changdu Prefecture, Tibet, China

Knowledge of the mechanisms of species coexistence is crucial for biodiversity conservation. The tufted deer (<i>Elaphodus cephalophus</i>), alpine musk deer (<i>Moschus chrysogaster</i>), and Chinese serow (<i>Capricornis milneedwardsii</i>) are all found in alpine ecosystems in Tibet, China. To investigate how these sympatric species achieve stable coexistence, we compared species distribution models and diurnal activity rhythms to analyze their spatial and temporal niche characteristics based on data collected from 186 camera traps set in Changdu prefecture. The results indicate he following: (1) In Changdu, the total area of suitable habitats for tufted deer, alpine musk deer and Chinese serow are 14,968 km², 41,909 km², and 36,954 km², respectively. These areas represent approximately 13.62%, 38.14%, and 33.63% of the study area, respectively. (2) The total overlapping area of suitable habitats between tufted deer and alpine musk deer is 5102 km². The total overlapping area of suitable habitats between tufted deer and Chinese serow is 6483 km². Additionally, the total overlapping area of suitable habitats between alpine musk deer and Chinese serow amounts to 26,869 km². (3) The overlap index for daily activity rhythms between tufted deer and alpine musk deer is 0.88-this difference is statistically significant (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Similarly, the overlap index for daily activity rhythms between tufted deer and Chinese serow is 0.82-also significantly different (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Lastly, the overlap index for daily activity rhythms between alpine musk deer and Chinese serow is 0.76-again showing a significant difference (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The results provide valuable insight into conservation strategies aimed at preserving populations and habitats of tufted deer, alpine musk deer, and Chinese serow while contributing to a deeper understanding of resource partitioning mechanisms as well as population dynamics among coexisting species.