Figure 1.

Predicted pre-/post-fire shifts in dietary niche space of red-backed voles and deermice under (a) optimal foraging theory, where each species exhibits a narrow dietary niche in its preferred habitat, and (b) competitive release, where post-fire release from competitive pressure from voles permits deermouse niche expansion. Under competitive release vole dietary niche breadth may be reduced if large deermouse populations exert competitive pressure on the remaining voles, limiting dietary niche space, or maintained, if there is no significant dietary exclusion. Species illustrations © Addison Allen.