Even though an extensive framework has been develop on community structuring process, there have been few tests of mechanisms promoting coexistence in local communities.We report field experiments designed to assess the role of resource partitioning as a mechanism promoting coexistence and enhancing diversity using necrophagous communities as a model system. In order to achieve this objective we let in field to be colonize, 36 carcasses with weight ranging from 17 to 440 g, performing three repetitions. The community was composed by twenty one species of necrophagous flies. Initial analysis suggest some level of resource partitioning but there were more overlap than could be accounted by chance and the level of specialization on carcass size were very low. Based on this findings resource partitioning could not be promoting coexistence and another mechanism should be invoked to account for such effect.
Coexistence; ephemeral communities; null model
