Analysis of winter food and gut microbiota of sympatric Chinese goral and roe deer revealed competitive advantage of Chinese goral in Beijing
摘要
<p indent="0mm">Exploring the mechanisms of sympatric competition and coexistence is essential for enhancing our understanding of interspecific interactions and serves as a crucial theoretical foundation for the conservation of rare and endangered wild animals. This study utilized microscopic analysis and high-throughput sequencing technology to explore the feeding components and gut microbiota of Chinese goral (<italic>Naemorhedus griseus</italic>) and Roe deer (<italic>Capreolus pygargus</italic>) in Beijing Wuling Mountain Nature Reserve during winter. The research aimed to investigate the competition and synergistic adaptation between the two species for limited food resources. The results revealed a significant overlap (81.54%) in the feedings of Chinese goral and Roe deer, and there was a significant difference in the gut microbial structure (<italic>P</italic> < 0.05). The gut microbiota of Chinese goral were primarily composed of Proteobacteria (55.56%) and Bacteroides (24.99%), while those of Roe deer were predominantly composed of Bacteroides (47.36%) and Firmicutes (45.66%). The metabolic functions of the gut microbiota in the Chinese goral were significantly higher than those in the Roe deer, with significant differences in the functional expressions of carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and energy metabolism (<italic>P</italic><0.001). The high feeding diversity and microbial metabolic activity confer an advantageous position to the Chinese goral in sympatric competition.