@article{colwell1971on,
    author = "Colwell, Robert K. and Futuyma, Douglas J.",
    title = "On the Measurement of Niche Breadth and Overlap",
    year = "1971",
    journal = "Ecology",
    abstract = "Measures of niche breadth and overlap that depend on the distribution of individual among resource states (ecological categories) should be independent of the relative abundance of the species and of the number of resource states considered. Such measures should also take into account the degree of distinctness of the resource states from the point of view of the organisms concerned. An ecoassay of the distinctness of resource states may well be easier and more meaningful than measurements of physical and chemical factors. We propose that the species composition of communities utilizing different resource states may be used to develop weighting factors with which each state may be weighted in proportion to its degree of distinctness. The weighting factors are used in the development of indices of niche breadth and overlap that correct for variation in the range and distinctness of resource states and that suffer less from human subjectivity than do the measures used to date. The use of such indices and the relationship of niche overlap to competition are discussed.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.2307/1934144",
    doi = "10.2307/1934144",
    number = "4",
    pages = "567-576",
    volume = "52"
}

@misc{colwell1971on1,
    author = "Colwell, R. K. and Futuyma, D. J",
    title = "On the measurement of niche breadth and overlap",
    year = "1971",
    howpublished = "Ecology, v. 52, p. 567-576",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Colwell, R. K., and Futuyma, D. J., 1971, On the measurement of niche breadth and overlap: Ecology, v. 52, p. 567-576.}"
}

@article{sabath1973measurement,
    author = "Sabath, Michael D. and Jones, J. Micheal",
    title = "Measurement of Niche Breadth and Overlap: The Colwell‐Futuyma Method",
    year = "1973",
    journal = "Ecology",
    abstract = "The Colwell—Futuyma niche metrics are examined by means of data on microgeographic distribution of 25 species of drosophilid flies. Niche metrics based on a variety of weighting factors (circular, non—circular, absolute, and relative) are highly positively correlated. Unweighted metrics are highly correlated with all weighted metrics. The niche breadth and overlap values with drosophilids as weighting factors are highly positively correlated to metrics using drosophilids matched with co—occurring plants, even though the weights are slightly negatively correlated. Increasing the number of species in the resource matrix (species X resource states table) decreases the variation in weights of resource states and they approach uniform distinctness. Most drosophilid species are broad niched for all calculation methods used. Samplig error may account for some skewing of breadth values because flies might be attracted into otherwise unfavorable environments by the baits.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.2307/1935581",
    doi = "10.2307/1935581",
    number = "5",
    pages = "1143-1147",
    volume = "54"
}

@incollection{li2012application,
    author = "Li, Xiuting and Peng, Geng and Zhao, Hong and Liu, Fan",
    title = "Application Study of Brand Niche Theory in B2C Brands Overlap and Breadth Measurement",
    year = "2012",
    booktitle = "Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28798-5\_49",
    doi = "10.1007/978-3-642-28798-5\_49",
    pages = "363-369"
}

@article{doi101002ece370929,
    author = "Jiang, Haixin and Zhou, Yao and Li, Wen and Lu, Qi and Xu, Dongmei and Ma, Hongbin and Ma, Xingzhong and Tian, Xiaowu",
    title = "Reseeding Native Species Promotes Community Stability by Improving Species Diversity, Niche, and Interspecific Relationships in the Desert Steppe of Northwest China.",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "Ecology and evolution",
    abstract = "The mechanism of community stability is a hot topic in the field of ecology. Research on the stability of the grassland community has gradually increased, and the reseeding of native species is one of the main measures to restore the degraded desert steppe in northwest China. However, little is known about the changes in the stability of the plant community in the desert steppe after reseeding native species. This study established a long-term observation site for native species reseeding in the desert steppe. We established reseeding and grazing exclusion plots in May 2017 and conducted surveys on degraded grasslands (0YEX(RS)) before setting up reseeding and grazing exclusion treatment experimental plots. After 3 and 6 years of setting up the test, the vegetation restoration status of the plot was investigated, respectively. The results showed that reseeding native species increased the Shannon-Wiener index and Margalef index of the community. At the same time, the importance value and the breadth of the niche of gramineous plants improved, while the proportion of pairs of high niche overlaps and the logarithm of significant association decreased. The general association of reseeding of the desert steppe was positively correlated, and the stability of the community gradually increased. The results of partial least squares path modelling show that reseeding has a highly significant positive effect on community stability. Both the EX (grazing exclusion grassland) and RS (reseeded grassland) models indicate that niche and diversity indices influence community stability to varying degrees, while interspecific linkage coefficients affect mainly niche overlap. Our research has shown that reseeding native species can improve the intensity of competition between species for resources, leading to a more stable community and ultimately increasing species diversity and community stability. These findings provide valuable theoretical support for vegetation restoration and sustainable management in the desert steppe.",
    url = "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11799735/",
    doi = "10.1002/ece3.70929",
    pmcid = "PMC11799735",
    pmid = "39916799"
}

@article{doi101038s4159802643423w,
    author = "Patterson, Jessica R and Périquet-Pearce, Stéphanie and Melton, Madeline H and PetersonWood, Brennan and Portas, Rubén and Aschenborn, Ortwin and Cloete, Claudine and Peirson, Laura E and Lafferty, Diana J R and Beasley, James C",
    title = "Revealing seasonal dietary niche overlap among sympatric large carnivores using DNA metabarcoding.",
    year = "2026",
    journal = "Scientific reports",
    abstract = "UNLABELLED: Understanding how large carnivores partition dietary resources is essential for assessing intra-guild competition and informing conservation strategies. In this study, we used DNA metabarcoding of scats to quantify and compare the diets of sympatric African lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) across wet and dry seasons in the Greater Etosha Landscape of Namibia. Across 98 scat samples (lion = 69; spotted hyena = 29), we identified 19 vertebrate prey species. Overall, large ungulates dominated both carnivores’ diets. For lions, the most frequent prey items included gemsbok (Oryx gazella), common eland (Taurotragus oryx), plains zebra (Equus quagga burchelli), and blue wildebeest (Connochaetus taurinus). For spotted hyenas, the most frequent prey items were plains zebra, gemsbok, springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), and black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis bicornis). Dietary niche breadth was not significantly different between species, though lions exhibited the broadest across both seasons, while diet composition was similar between species and seasons. However, the smaller sample size for spotted hyenas may limit full characterization of their diet and influence measures of overlap and niche breadth. These results suggest a moderate diet overlap and limited resource partitioning both within and among these large carnivore species across seasons, likely facilitated by opportunistic scavenging and kleptoparasitism. Both species exhibited broader dietary niche breadths during the wet season, likely reflecting increased prey availability and dispersion. Ongoing monitoring of carnivore diets using molecular tools, which provides a more accurate and comprehensive identification of diet items than manual sorting, will be essential for detecting changes in resource use and interspecific interactions in response to shifting environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressures. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-026-43423-w.",
    url = "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13121798/",
    doi = "10.1038/s41598-026-43423-w",
    pmcid = "PMC13121798",
    pmid = "41833999"
}

@article{doi101073pnas2526391123,
    author = "Santos-Júnior, Célio Dias and Escobar, Maria Camila and Huber, Paula and Niño-Garcia, Juan Pablo and Cardona, Gladys Inés and Costa-Pereira, Raul and Sarmento, Hugo",
    title = "Resource availability structures microbial competition through genomic niche partitioning.",
    year = "2026",
    journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America",
    abstract = "Microbial competition for scarce resources shapes biodiversity patterns and ecosystem function across global biomes, yet quantifying this process from genomic data has remained elusive. Here, we introduce CaCo, a scalable metric that transforms metagenomic carbohydrate-active enzyme profiles into precise measures of niche overlap and competition potential (Resource Partitioning Score, RPS). Analyzing 14,691 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes spanning Ocean, freshwater, soil, and human gut microbiomes, we reveal a striking macroecological pattern: Niche overlap increases from partitioned specialists in oligotrophic oceans to overlapping generalists in carbon-rich environments, including the human gut. This gradient aligns with classic niche theory, as phylogenetic signals indicate that closely related taxa may compete most intensely. Multitiered validation, spanning BIOLOG phenotypes, synthetic cocultures, and interaction gradients, confirms CaCo's predictive power and captures competitive exclusion. CaCo bridges genomic potential and ecological reality, providing niche-breadth metrics and enabling testable predictions of how resource availability shapes microbial competition and community structure.",
    url = "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42054365/",
    doi = "10.1073/pnas.2526391123",
    pmid = "42054365"
}