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IMAGE: Isotopic niches of the studied species of the genus Rossia: comparison among species and ontogenetic comparison within species. view more
Credit: Olga Zimina
Co-author from Kazan Federal University, Professor Rushan Sabirov explains, In ecosystems, two or more closely related species of organisms with similar ecology and morphological appearance often inhabit the same territory. These species are called sympatric. According to classical ecological theory, one of the species will lose out in competition and eventually die out. In reality, closely related sympatric species coexist successfully for a long time. It is very important to understand how the division of resources and favorable biotope sites between sympatric species in the Arctic occurs, because Arctic ecosystems are extremely susceptible to external influences.