Abstract：
The three-dimensional structure of habitats is a critical component of species\' niches driving coexistence in species-rich ecosystems. However, its influence on structuring and partitioning recruitment niches has not been widely addressed. We developed a new method to combine species distribution modelling and structure from motion, and characterized three-dimensional recruitment niches of two ecosystem engineers on Caribbean coral reefs, scleractinian corals and gorgonians. Fine-scale roughness was the most important predictor of suitable habitat for both taxa, and their niches largely overlapped, primarily due to scleractinians\' broader niche breadth. Crevices and holes at mm scales on calcareous rock with low coral cover were more suitable for octocorals than for scleractinian recruits, suggesting that the decline in scleractinian corals is facilitating the recruitment of octocorals on contemporary Caribbean reefs. However, the relative abundances of the taxa were independent of the amount of suitable habitat on the reef, emphasizing that niche processes alone do not predict recruitment rates.
摘要：
栖息地的三维结构是驱动物种丰富的生态系统中共存的物种生态位的重要组成部分。然而,它对招聘利基结构和划分的影响尚未得到广泛解决。我们开发了一种将物种分布建模和运动结构相结合的新方法，并在加勒比珊瑚礁上展示了两名生态系统工程师的三维招聘位置，巩膜珊瑚和gorgonians。细度粗糙度是两个分类群合适栖息地的最重要预测指标，它们的壁龛大部分重叠，主要是由于巩膜细胞更广泛的利基宽度。珊瑚覆盖率低的钙质岩石上毫米尺度的裂缝和洞更适合八角珊瑚，而不是巩膜新兵，这表明巩膜珊瑚的减少正在促进在当代加勒比海珊瑚礁上招募八珊瑚。然而,类群的相对丰度与珊瑚礁上合适栖息地的数量无关，强调仅仅利基流程并不能预测招聘率。
