Niche Partitioning and DNA Metabarcoding Click & Learn

Student Worksheet

OVERVIEW
This worksheet complements the Niche Partitioning and DNA Metabarcoding Click & Learn.

PROCEDURE
In the Click & Learn, you will collect and analyze data to test the hypothesis that herbivore species can coexist in
the same habitat because they partition their niches in some way. Follow the instructions in the worksheet to
guide you through the Click & Learn and answer the questions below as you progress through different sections.

INTRODUCTION: STUDYING NICHE PARTITIONING

1. Based on previous knowledge, how would you define biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the biological variety of life on Earth.

2. Why should people be interested in maintaining biodiversity?

They should be interested because there are specialized roles that each organism plays in the
ecosystem.

Watch Dr. Rob Pringle’s video at the beginning of the Click & Learn. Using the arrows to the right of the
screen, continue through the background information about Mpala Research Center.
3. How does niche partitioning relate to biodiversity?
Niche partitioning relates to biodiversity because it is essentially where a certain species has
more advantage towards a source than other species that need the same resource.

4. Why does the presence of 22 large herbivore species at Mpala seem to contradict the competitive exclusion
principle Dr. Pringle described in his introduction?
According to Dr.Pringle, some herbivores adapt to resources that were initially not compatible
for them and they were only for other herbivores. Some herbivores don't even eat the same
type of plant or live in the same habitat as others do. Therefore, not all herbivores compete at
the same level or even compete when it comes to resources.
5. Examine the four species of herbivores you will be observing in this Click & Learn. List some similarities and
differences between them.
The four species of herbivores are the Grey Zebra, Impala, Cape Buffalo, and the Dik-dik. They
range from out 5kg to more than 300kg. The Impala and Dik-dik species are stable and are
deer-like animals. Unfortunately, the Cape Buffalo species are going extinct and the Grey Zebra
are relocating because of the harsh environment.
6. All of these species are herbivores and share the same habitat. Coexistence, however, can occur when
animals partition their niches in one or more important ways. When it comes to foraging for food, name
three ways in which these herbivores may partition their niches.
One way herbivores may partition their niches is caused by the environmental conditions. There
are harsh conditions that some herbivores can sustain and eventually die off. Another way is
taking over land and resources so that herbivores are allowed to eat other organisms. The third
way is dividing resources equally among herbivores that consume that resource. This way, it
will lead to less aggression or need for more food.

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 Click & Learn
Niche Partitioning and DNA Metabarcoding Student Worksheet

Module 1: Collecting Evidence for Herbivore Niche Partitioning

Proceed through Module 1, including the review questions at the end. After completing Module 1, answer the
questions below.
7. Did you find evidence to support the hypothesis that the four herbivore species partition their niches?
Yes, because of the similarity between the data of the amount of time of day and night and
when herbivores consume resources is fairly strong.

8. What is the most likely niche partitioning mechanism for the four Mpala herbivores? Support your claim
with evidence.
The most likely niche partitioning mechanism for the four Mpala herbivores is the Grevy's Zebra and how Mpala
species have been consuming the same resources and grown closer. This will unfortunately lead to increased food
source consumption since it has both adapted to them and the two herbivores have grown to coexist. Therefore,
increased food consumption can lead to the herbivore's extinction.

9. The data for time and vegetation was presented in two formats:

Tally marks Percentages

Which format provided a more useful representation of the data from which to make a claim? Explain your
reasoning.
The percentage data chart is a more useful representation because it gave the exact amount of
herbivores that would eat during a certain time and the data ranged on the chance of the
amount of herbivores that would consume. It gave more clear and specific data rather than tally
marks.
Module 2: A More Detailed Look into Dietary Partitioning
In science, research typically leads to more questions, and more research. Sometimes, the new questions can
only be answered once new methods and technologies for collecting and analyzing data become available.
10. What technology did you use to make your observations in Module 1? What were two limitations of the
technology?
I used the binoculars and gps. Some limitations of these devices was that the binoculars
couldn't provide an accurate sight or observation and the gps didn't have full accuracy and
made some vague explanations.

Start working through Module 2, where you will collect dung, identify plant species using DNA barcoding, and
analyze the results in several ways.
11. In your own words, describe how DNA metabarcoding works.
It is the cost effective species identification device. It can identify species in a gorup,
environment, or specimen.

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Niche Partitioning and DNA Metabarcoding Student Worksheet

12. The data for the herbivores’ diets were presented in two different formats.

Data Table

Venn Diagram

Which representation of the data was most helpful in providing evidence to support your claim? Explain your
answer.
The venn diagram was the most helpful because it had a simple, clear format to present the
data. I was abolee to tell the similarities and differences between the 4 species without much
trouble.
Once you have determined the diet profiles of the four herbivores, you will use the formula below to calculate
the Sorenson’s Index and quantify how similar the different diets are.

13. What does it mean if the Sorenson’s Index value is closer to 1?

The means that the plant species has a big gap between the two species.

Finish all the calculations and the review questions.

14. Did the Sorenson’s Index calculations provide additional evidence to support your claim for dietary
partitioning among the herbivores in Mpala? Explain your answer.
Yes, because the diets between the herbivores and what they consumed was clearly visible.
The data enbaled him to compare the herbivores diet overlaps and the percentages on they
could have ate.

Conclusion: Applying What You Learned

Dr. Pringle’s research concluded “that even among herbivores that eat grasses, each herbivore species
consumes some plant species that are not eaten by others.” Park managers work to restore or maintain the
populations of as many different native species as possible.
15. Park managers at a national park in Africa are planning to relocate three grazing herbivores—buffalo, zebra,
and wildebeest—that disappeared during a civil war. Make a plan for how they would use the tools and
methods in this Click & Learn to determine when and where each species should be relocated to the park.
The park managers can use a gps system to track the three herbivores and binoculars to
search across long distances and find them. Zebras usually live on the eastern side and the
buffalos are either in the north or south regions.

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Niche Partitioning and DNA Metabarcoding Student Worksheet

16. A conservation group in Kenya would like to increase the numbers of Grevy’s zebra and other endangered
antelopes, such as hartebeests. On the other hand, local cattle herdsmen worry that these native herbivores
will compete for food with their cattle. Explain how you could investigate their concerns using the tools in
the table below and what information you could provide to the herdsmen based on the data collected.

Data collection or analysis tool Information to communicate to herdsmen

Observation of grazer/browser food Food can provide which kind of food the hebivores eat
selections and identify where the herbivores go daily to consume
that resource.
DNA metabarcoding with herbivore DNA metaborcoding can show important information about the
(including cattle) dung herbivores. It can show the genes from which it is breeded from,
identifications, and consumption.

Venn Diagram The venn diagram is a user-friendly data collector. It shows the
similarities and differences between species. This way it can
show what other organisms are similar to the herbivores.

Sorenson’s Index Sorenson's index can help explain how the plants are
related to the herbivores.

17. Mpala (shown on the left) has a large diversity of plant species, with around 800 plant species growing in the
park. This plant diversity helps support the high number of large herbivore species. Although superficially
very similar, the oak savannas of Texas (shown on the right) feature around 250 plant species. Would you
expect that the savannas in Texas support more or fewer herbivore species? Explain your answer.

I expect the Savannas in Texas to support fewer herbivore species. It is clearly seen that there
are less plants and resources, which can lead to niche partitioning. Only having 250 plant
species won't be able to be sustainable for the herbivores as there willl be huge amounts of
consumption. Thus, they will die off slowly and go extinct.

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