Abstract：
Understanding the competition and coexistence of flagship carnivores is key to creating strategies for their conservation in the face of global carnivore declines. Although studies exploring the dynamics and competition between tigers (Panthera tigris) and leopards (P. pardus) span decades, there is a lack of understanding regarding the factors that influence their coexistence mechanisms on a broad scale, as well as the drivers determining their exploitative and interference competition. We gathered a comprehensive list of research papers among which 36 papers explored the interspecific interactions between tigers and leopards and tested the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the coexistence mechanisms along three dimensions using multiple response variables regression models; we also tested the influence of ecological drivers determining the exploitative or interference competition between tigers and leopards. Elevation and ungulate density were the most important predictors in regulating the coexistence mechanisms. Tigers and leopards exhibited more positive relations/higher overlaps as elevation increased in the spatial niche. In addition, they showed a higher dietary overlap in the prey-rich regions. We determined that interference competition between tigers and leopards was less frequently observed in habitats with dense tree cover and homogeneous vegetation structures. Meanwhile, studies with multiple metrics would promote the detection of interference competition. Our study provides new insight into the competitive interactions and coexistence mechanisms of tigers and leopards on a broad scale. Policy-makers and managers should pay more attention to the factors of elevation, prey abundance, and habitat structures for the conservation of tigers and leopards.
摘要：
了解旗舰食肉动物的竞争和共存是面对全球食肉动物减少制定保护策略的关键。尽管研究探索了老虎（Pantheratigris）和豹子之间的动态和竞争（P。帕杜斯)跨越几十年，对影响其广泛共存机制的因素缺乏了解，以及决定他们剥削和干扰竞争的司机。我们收集了完整的研究论文列表，其中36篇论文探讨了老虎和豹子之间的种间相互作用，并使用多响应变量回归模型从三个维度测试了生物和非生物因素对共存机制的影响；我们还测试了确定老虎和豹子之间剥削或干扰竞争的生态驱动因素的影响。海拔和有蹄类动物密度是调节共存机制的最重要预测因子。随着空间生态位海拔的增加，老虎和豹子表现出更多的积极关系/更高的重叠。此外,他们在猎物丰富的地区显示出更高的饮食重叠。我们确定，在树木茂密，植被结构均匀的栖息地中，老虎和豹子之间的干扰竞争较少。同时,具有多个指标的研究将促进干扰竞争的检测。我们的研究为广泛的老虎和豹子的竞争互动和共存机制提供了新的见解。决策者和管理者应该更加关注海拔的因素，猎物丰富，以及保护老虎和豹子的栖息地结构。
