Abstract Direct and indirect interactions among predators affect predator fitness, distribution, and overall community structure. Yet, outside of experimental settings, such interactions are difficult to observe and thus poorly understood. Patterns of niche overlap among predators reflect and shape community interactions and may therefore help elucidate the nature and intensity of intraguild interactions. To better understand the coexistence of two apex predators, snow leopards (Panthera uncia) and wolves (Canis lupus), we investigated their spatial, temporal, and dietary niche overlap in summer in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan. We estimated population-level space use via spatial capture–recapture models based on noninvasive genetics and camera traps, diel activity patterns based on camera trap detections, and diet composition from prey remains in carnivore scats, from which we estimated coefficients between 0 and 1 for overlap in space, time, and diet, respectively. Snow leopards and wolves displayed moderate spatial partitioning (0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.17–37), but overlapping temporal (0.77, 95% CI: 0.64–0.90) and dietary (0.97, 95% CI: 0.80–0.99) niches. Both predators relied on seasonally abundant marmots (Marmota caudata) rather than wild ungulates, their typical primary prey, suggesting that despite patterns of overlap that were superficially conducive to exploitation competition and predator facilitation, prey were likely not a limiting factor. Therefore, prey-mediated interactions, if present, were unlikely to be a major structuring force in the ecosystem. By implication, carnivore conservation planning and monitoring in the mountains of Central Asia should more fully account for the seasonal importance of marmots in the ecosystem.

中文翻译：

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中亚山区捕食者生态位重叠分区及潜在相互作用

摘要 捕食者之间的直接和间接相互作用会影响捕食者的适应性、分布和整体群落结构。然而，在实验环境之外，这种相互作用很难观察到，因此很难理解。捕食者之间的生态位重叠模式反映并塑造了社区互动，因此可能有助于阐明公会内互动的性质和强度。为了更好地了解两种顶级掠食者雪豹 (Panthera uncia) 和狼 (Canis lupus) 的共存，我们调查了它们在夏季在塔吉克斯坦帕米尔山脉的空间、时间和饮食生态位重叠。我们通过基于非侵入性遗传学和相机陷阱的空间捕获-再捕获模型、基于相机陷阱检测的昼夜活动模式来估计人口水平的空间使用，来自猎物的食物成分和食物成分仍然存在于食肉动物的粪便中，据此我们分别估计了空间、时间和饮食重叠的系数在 0 和 1 之间。雪豹和狼表现出适度的空间划分（0.26, 95% CI：0.17-37），但在时间（0.77, 95% CI: 0.64-0.90）和饮食（0.97, 95% CI: 0.80-0.99）重叠) 壁龛。两种捕食者都依赖季节性丰富的旱獭（Marmota caudata）而不是野生有蹄类动物，它们是典型的主要猎物，这表明尽管重叠模式表面上有助于剥削竞争和捕食者促进，但猎物可能不是限制因素。因此，猎物介导的相互作用（如果存在）不太可能成为生态系统中的主要结构力量。暗示，