Journal articles on the topic 'Nitrogen stable isotopes'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Nitrogen stable isotopes.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 journal articles for your research on the topic 'Nitrogen stable isotopes.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse journal articles on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Sare, David T. J., John S. Millar, and Frederick J. Longstaffe. "Tracing dietary protein in red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) using stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon." Canadian Journal of Zoology 83, no. 5 (May 1, 2005): 717–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z05-064.
Full textAbstract:
We examined the stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon in a small mammal, the red-backed vole (Clethroinomys gapperi (Vigors, 1830)), to determine if isotope signatures reflect diet composition. Nitrogen- and carbon-isotope ratios in tissues from voles maintained on different protein levels in the laboratory were compared with wild-trapped voles. The isotopic fractionation of dietary nitrogen and carbon was also examined as food was digested in the stomach, incorporated into bone collagen, bioapatite, and hair, and excreted as feces. Nitrogen and carbon isotopes were fractionated differently depending on the isotopic composition and protein content of the diet. δ15N and δ13C values appear to be influenced by factors in addition to diet, such as macronutrients metabolized for respiration, metabolic rate, and periods of protein shortage.
2
Uriarte, Amaya, Alberto García, Aurelio Ortega, Fernando De la Gándara, José Quintanilla, and Raúl Laiz-Carrión. "Isotopic discrimination factors and nitrogen turnover rates in reared Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae (Thunnus thynnus): effects of maternal transmission." Scientia Marina 80, no. 4 (November 22, 2016): 447. http://dx.doi.org/10.3989/scimar.04435.25a.
Full textAbstract:
The use of stable isotope analysis to study animal diets requires estimates of isotopic turnover rates (half time, t50) and discrimination factors (Δ) for an accurate interpretation of trophic patterns. The stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were analysed for eggs and reared larvae of Thunnus thynnus, as well as for the different diets supplied during the experiment. The results showed high values of δ15N in eggs and larvae (n=646) until 4 DAH. After this time lapse, the stable isotope values declined progressively until 12 DAH, when notochord flexion began. The δ13C showed an inverse trend, suggesting that maternal inheritance of the stable isotopes is evident until pre-flexion stages. This study proposes a model for estimating maternal isotopic signatures of bluefin broodstock. After notochord flexion, larvae were fed with aquaculture-bred gilthead seabream, which resulted in a rapid increase of bluefin larvae δ15N values together with a rapid decrease in δ13C values. The estimated nitrogen half-time to reach the steady state from the diet was 2.5±0.3 days and the discrimination factor was 0.4±0.3(‰). These results represent the first data set that has allowed isotopic nitrogen turnover rates and discrimination factors of the larval stages of bluefin tuna to be estimated.
3
Jensen, Alexandria, William Ford, James Fox, and Admin Husic. "Improving In-Stream Nutrient Routines in Water Quality Models Using Stable Isotope Tracers: A Review and Synthesis." Transactions of the ASABE 61, no. 1 (2018): 139–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.13031/trans.12545.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Water quality models serve as an economically feasible alternative to quantify fluxes of nutrient pollution and to simulate effective mitigation strategies; however, their applicability is often questioned due to broad uncertainties in model structure and parameterization, leading to uncertain outputs. We argue that reduction of uncertainty is partially achieved by integrating stable isotope data streams within the water quality model architecture. This article outlines the use of stable isotopes as a response variable within water quality models to improve the model boundary conditions associated with nutrient source provenance, constrain model parameterization, and elucidate shortcomings in the model structure. To assist researchers in future modeling efforts, we provide an overview of stable isotope theory; review isotopic signatures and applications for relevant carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus pools; identify biotic and abiotic processes that impact isotope transfer between pools; review existing models that have incorporated stable isotope signatures; and highlight recommendations based on synthesis of existing knowledge. Broadly, we find existing applications that use isotopes have high efficacy for reducing water quality model uncertainty. We make recommendations toward the future use of sediment stable isotope signatures, given their integrative capacity and practical analytical process. We also detail a method to incorporate stable isotopes into multi-objective modeling frameworks. Finally, we encourage watershed modelers to work closely with isotope geochemists to ensure proper integration of stable isotopes into in-stream nutrient fate and transport routines in water quality models. Keywords: Isotopes, Nutrients, Uncertainty analysis, Water quality modeling, Watershed.
4
Arneson, Lynne S., Stephen MacAvoy, and Ethan Basset. "Metabolic protein replacement drives tissue turnover in adult mice." Canadian Journal of Zoology 84, no. 7 (July 1, 2006): 992–1002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-081.
Full textAbstract:
Stable isotopes are increasingly being used to examine ecological and physiological questions, such as dietary choices, migration routes and timing, and physiological condition. To address these questions in the field, laboratory experiments must be done to determine diet–tissue discrimination values and turnover rates for stable isotopes in tissues. In this study, we examined the carbon and nitrogen turnover rates of whole blood, skeletal muscle, liver, kidney, heart, and brain, as well as the sulfur turnover rate of whole blood, skeletal muscle, and liver in Mus musculus L., 1758 following a diet change. By examining tissue isotope change in two groups of mice fed different diets, we found that tissues turnover at different rates (in order of fastest to slowest — liver, kidney, heart, brain, whole blood, skeletal muscle), but that carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotopes turned over with similar half-lives within a single tissue. By using a diet with different nutrient isotopic values, we also calculated that up to approximately 90%–95% of carbon in newly synthesized tissue was contributed by dietary protein. These results will provide field researchers with additional tissue isotopic half-lives to elucidate dietary history with a greater degree of certainty. The tissue sulfur half-lives provide an extra stable isotope that may be used in situations where carbon and nitrogen values do not differ between old and new nutrient sources.
5
Gagnon, Chantal, and Keith A. Hobson. "Using stable isotopes to track frugivory in migratory passerines." Canadian Journal of Zoology 87, no. 11 (November 2009): 981–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z09-086.
Full textAbstract:
Several species of North American migratory songbirds undergo seasonal diet shifts from insects to fruits, but this phenomenon is poorly quantified. Measurement of naturally occurring stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) are linked to sources of diets and trophic level, respectively. We used stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analyses of blood and claw tissues of 16 species of migratory songbirds to evaluate the timing and extent of frugivory over different periods. Species differed considerably in their tissue δ15N values, but we found poor isotopic segregation of species according to our a priori classifications as insectivores or omnivores. Season accounted for considerable variance in tissue δ15N values. However, only American Robin ( Turdus migratorius L., 1766), Northern Oriole ( Icterus galbula (L., 1758)), Gray Catbird ( Dumetella carolinensis (L., 1766)), Least Flycatcher ( Empidonax minimus (W.M. Baird and S.F. Baird, 1843)), and Warbling Vireo ( Vireo gilvus (Vieillot, 1808)) showed expected decrease in winter-grown tissue δ15N values compared with those grown in late summer. This indicates either that our a priori guild associations were incorrect and (or) that using stable isotopes to track frugivory at continental scales is problematic. We recommend that the isotope technique be used to track frugivory only in well-constrained systems where food-web δ15N follows reliable and understood trophic enrichment patterns.
6
Kelly, Jeffrey F. "Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in the study of avian and mammalian trophic ecology." Canadian Journal of Zoology 78, no. 1 (February 28, 2000): 1–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z99-165.
Full textAbstract:
Differential fractionation of stable isotopes of carbon during photosynthesis causes C4 plants and C3 plants to have distinct carbon-isotope signatures. In addition, marine C3 plants have stable-isotope ratios of carbon that are intermediate between C4 and terrestrial C3 plants. The direct incorporation of the carbon-isotope ratio (13C/12C) of plants into consumers' tissues makes this ratio useful in studies of animal ecology. The heavy isotope of nitrogen (15N) is preferentially incorporated into the tissues of the consumer from the diet, which results in a systematic enrichment in nitrogen-isotope ratio (15N/14N) with each trophic level. Consequently, stable isotopes of nitrogen have been used primarily to assess position in food chains. The literature pertaining to the use of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in animal trophic ecology was reviewed. Data from 102 studies that reported stable-isotope ratios of carbon and (or) nitrogen of wild birds and (or) mammals were compiled and analyzed relative to diet, latitude, body size, and habitat moisture. These analyses supported the predicted relationships among trophic groups. Carbon-isotope ratios differed among species that relied on C3, C4, and marine food chains. Likewise, nitrogen-isotope ratios were enriched in terrestrial carnivorous mammals relative to terrestrial herbivorous mammals. Also, marine carnivores that ate vertebrates had nitrogen-isotope ratios that were enriched over the ratios of those that ate invertebrates. Data from the literature also indicated that (i) the carbon-isotope ratio of carnivore bone collagen was inversely related to latitude, which was likely the result of an inverse relationship between the proportion of carbon in the food chain that was fixed by C4 plants and latitude; (ii) seabirds and marine mammals from northern oceans had higher nitrogen-isotope ratios than those from southern oceans; (iii) the nitrogen-isotope ratios of terrestrial mammals that used xeric habitats were higher than the ratios of those that used mesic habitats, indicating that water stress can have important effects on the nitrogen-isotope ratio; (iv) there was no relationship between body mass and nitrogen-isotope ratio for either bone collagen or muscle of carnivores; and (v) there was linear covariation between stable-isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in marine food chains (but not in terrestrial C3 or C4 food chains), which is likely a product of increases in carbon-isotope ratio with trophic level in marine food chains. Differences in stable-isotope composition among trophic groups were detected despite variation attributable to geographic location, climate, and analytical techniques, indicating that these effects are large and pervasive. Consequently, as knowledge of the distribution of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen increases, they will probably become an increasingly important tool in the study of avian and mammalian trophic ecology.
7
Louys, Julien, Peter Ditchfield, Carlo Meloro, Sarah Elton, and Laura C. Bishop. "Stable isotopes provide independent support for the use of mesowear variables for inferring diets in African antelopes." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279, no. 1746 (August 29, 2012): 4441–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.1473.
Full textAbstract:
We examine the relationship between mesowear variables and carbon and nitrogen isotopes in 16 species of African antelope (Mammalia: Bovidae). We show significant differences in carbon and nitrogen isotope values between individuals exhibiting sharp versus round cusps, and high versus low occlusal relief. We show significant correlations between mesowear variables and both carbon and nitrogen isotopes. We find significant correlations between mesowear score and nitrogen, but not carbon isotopes. Finally, we find no significant correlations between hypsodonty index and either isotope examined. Our results provide strong support for the use of mesowear variables in palaeodietary reconstructions of antelopes. Our results further suggest that for the antelopes examined here, mesowear signals are a direct result of diet, while hyposodonty may be the result of phylogenetic legacy.
8
Kristensen, D. K., E. Kristensen, M. C. Forchhammer, A. Michelsen, and N. M. Schmidt. "Arctic herbivore diet can be inferred from stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in C3 plants, faeces, and wool." Canadian Journal of Zoology 89, no. 10 (October 2011): 892–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z11-073.
Full textAbstract:
The use of stable isotopes in diet analysis usually relies on the different photosynthetic pathways of C3 and C4 plants, and the resulting difference in carbon isotope signature. In the Arctic, however, plant species are exclusively C3, and carbon isotopes alone are therefore not suitable for studying arctic herbivore diets. In this study, we examined the potential of both stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes to reconstruct the diet of an arctic herbivore, here the muskox ( Ovibos moschatus (Zimmermann, 1780)), in northeast Greenland. The isotope composition of plant communities and functional plant groups was compared with those of muskox faeces and shed wool, as this is a noninvasive approach to obtain dietary information on different temporal scales. Plants with different root mycorrhizal status were found to have different δ15N values, whereas differences in δ13C, as expected, were less distinct. As a result, our examination mainly relied on stable nitrogen isotopes. The interpretation of stable isotopes from faeces was difficult because of the large uncertainty in diet–faeces fractionation, whereas isotope signatures from wool suggested that the muskox summer diet consists of around 80% graminoids and up to 20% willows. In conclusion, the diet composition of an arctic herbivore can indeed be inferred from stable isotopes in arctic areas, despite the lack of C4 plants.
9
Jung, Hyejung, Dong-Chan Koh, Yun Kim, Sung-Wook Jeen, and Jeonghoon Lee. "Stable Isotopes of Water and Nitrate for the Identification of Groundwater Flowpaths: A Review." Water 12, no. 1 (January 1, 2020): 138. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w12010138.
Full textAbstract:
Nitrate contamination in stream water and groundwater is a serious environmental problem that arises in areas of high agricultural activities or high population density. It is therefore important to identify the source and flowpath of nitrate in water bodies. In recent decades, the dual isotope analysis (δ15N and δ18O) of nitrate has been widely applied to track contamination sources by taking advantage of the difference in nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios for different sources. However, transformation processes of nitrogen compounds can change the isotopic composition of nitrate due to the various redox processes in the environment, which often makes it difficult to identify contaminant sources. To compensate for this, the stable water isotope of the H2O itself can be used to interpret the complex hydrological and hydrochemical processes for the movement of nitrate contaminants. Therefore, the present study aims at understanding the fundamental background of stable water and nitrate isotope analysis, including isotope fractionation, analytical methods such as nitrate concentration from samples, instrumentation, and the typical ranges of δ15N and δ18O from various nitrate sources. In addition, we discuss hydrograph separation using the oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of water in combination with the nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of nitrate to understand the relative contributions of precipitation and groundwater to stream water. This study will assist in understanding the groundwater flowpaths as well as tracking the sources of nitrate contamination using the stable isotope analysis in combination with nitrate and water.
10
Ubelaker, Douglas H., and Douglas W. Owsley. "Isotopic Evidence for Diet in the Seventeenth-Century Colonial Chesapeake." American Antiquity 68, no. 1 (January 2003): 129–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3557036.
Full textAbstract:
Excavations of colonial period sites in Maryland and Virginia have produced human remains dating to the seventeenth century. In this study, we analyze stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen from these remains to explore aspects of the diets of the individuals represented. Analyses of both stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were conducted on preserved protein while stable carbon isotope analysis was also conducted on preserved biological apatite. Carbon isotope values (δ13N‰) ranged from -10.5 to -20.5 for collagen and -5.1 to -12.5 for bioapatite. Nitrogen isotope values (δ15N‰) ranged from 9.9 to 14.4. The data suggest dietary diversity among the individuals examined. Three factors contribute to this diversity: the availability of maize, variation in immigration histories of the individuals, and the differing lengths of time they spent in the American colonies.
11
Roth, James D., and Keith A. Hobson. "Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic fractionation between diet and tissue of captive red fox: implications for dietary reconstruction." Canadian Journal of Zoology 78, no. 5 (May 1, 2000): 848–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z00-008.
Full textAbstract:
The amount of isotopic fractionation (change in isotope ratios) between diet and animal tissues is generally poorly known and may be affected by trophic position. Diet-tissue fractionation of stable-carbon and -nitrogen isotopes was measured in several tissues of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) raised on a commercial pellet feed. Stable carbon isotopic fractionation in red fox was positive for all tissues and was greatest in fur (2.6), intermediate in muscle (1.1), and least in liver and blood fractions (0.4-0.6). These carbon isotope fractionation values were greater than those previously measured for mammalian herbivores but were similar to values for marine mammals in most tissues. Little variation in stable nitrogen isotopic fractionation occurred among tissues, except in the blood fractions. Nitrogen isotopic fractionation was much higher in blood serum (4.2) than in liver, muscle, and fur (3.3-3.5). Cellular fractions of blood had the lowest fractionation values (2.6). There was a significant age effect in nitrogen- but not in carbon-isotopic fractionation. Subadult foxes (<1 year) were significantly enriched in 15N compared with adult foxes for fur, muscle, and liver (no blood was collected from adults). The cause of this enrichment is unclear, but it may be related to the higher rate of protein synthesis and catabolism in growing animals. This study is the first to report isotopic fractionation values for a terrestrial mammalian carnivore. Such estimates are necessary to interpret stable-isotope patterns in wild carnivores.
12
Watson, Elizabeth Burke, Alejandro Hinojosa-Corona, Johannes R. Krause, Juan Carlos Herguera, Julianna McDonnell, Karen Raquel Villegas Villegas Manríquez, Michelle E. Gannon, and Andrew B. Gray. "Lagoon Biogeochemical Processing is Reflected in Spatial Patterns of Sediment Stable Isotopic Ratios." Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 8, no. 11 (November 3, 2020): 874. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jmse8110874.
Full textAbstract:
The spatial analysis of biota, particulate organic matter, and sediments for stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and sulfur (δ34S) have proved useful for identifying patterns in productivity, nutrient pollution, and relationships between biological and physiochemical variables at the local and global scales. Yet such approaches are rarely applied to studies of lagoon or estuarine metabolism. Focusing on Bahía San Quintín, a heterotrophic seagrass-dominated lagoon on the Pacific coast of Baja California, México, we report on spatial patterns in surficial sediment CNS stable isotopic ratios as tracers of lagoon biogeochemical function. Stable nitrogen isotopes highlighted potential spatial variability in the balance between denitrification and nitrogen-fixation within the lagoon and identified an association between elevated δ15N levels and oyster culture, suggesting that oyster presence may be enhancing N2 production. Spatial patterns in δ34S covaried with sediment particle size, underlining the importance of sediment texture in determining the depth of sub-oxic-anoxic redox zones. Sediment carbon stable isotope ratios highlighted the lack of incorporation of seagrass carbon into seagrass meadow sediments, thus emphasizing the importance of phytoplankton or microphytobenthos for carbon accumulation in seagrass meadows. This report highlights the value of sediment isotopic values in corroborating spatial patterns in estuarine metabolism or macronutrient processing identified from chamber or flux-based studies. Stable isotope mapping can provide a useful addition to assessment of estuarine metabolism, or act as a stand-alone tool for generating hypotheses, identifying the influence of spatial gradients, and/or suggesting prime locations for investigation of microbial abundance or function.
13
Niu, Yong, Hui Yu, Yuan Niu, Xia Jiang, Xiaochun Guo, Yong Pang, and Xiangyang Xu. "Isotopic fractionation of particulate organic matter and its biogeochemical implication in the littoral zone of Lake Taihu, China." Water Science and Technology 76, no. 10 (August 1, 2017): 2690–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.2017.439.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Signatures of stable isotope ratios have previously been used to trace the source and transport of particulate organic matter (POM) in freshwater and marine ecosystems. In this study, water columns were collected at 22 sites in the littoral zone of Lake Taihu in 2014 to investigate the distribution and concentration of nutrients and the stable isotope signatures of POM, and their potential interrelation. Generally, mean concentration of nitrogen forms (NH4+-N) showed substantial variation, probably because they had received large amounts of wastewater from various local industrial enterprises. Source analysis by stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios showed that the main POM sources were phytoplankton. Contrasting correlations were obtained between δ15N and N concentrations in effluent river mouths when compared with influent river mouths. In effluent river mouths, there was a significant positive correlation between δ15N and nitrogen concentration (total nitrogen and ammonia-nitrogen), in contrast with the negative correlation in influent river mouths. According to these results, more factors should be taken into consideration when stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of POM are used to assess the feeding relationship between consumers and prey, as well as the energy flow pathways that support the lake pelagic food webs.
14
Bode, Antonio, and Maria Teresa Alvarez-Ossorio. "Taxonomic versus trophic structure of mesozooplankton: a seasonal study of species succession and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in a coastal upwelling ecosystem." ICES Journal of Marine Science 61, no. 4 (January 1, 2004): 563–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.icesjms.2004.03.004.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Seasonal variations in mesozooplankton (>200 μm) stable carbon and nitrogen isotope abundances were compared with the seasonal species succession pattern off A Coruña (Galicia, NW Spain). Mesozooplankton biomass, numerical abundance, species composition, and natural abundance of stable isotopes, along with water column temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a and dissolved nitrate concentrations, were studied in monthly samples during the years 2000 and 2001 at a coastal station (80-m depth). Biomass and abundance of mesozooplankton followed the annual cycle with maxima in spring and summer (year 2000) and occasionally also in autumn (year 2001). The succession pattern shown by the taxonomic assemblages was recognized in both years of study, despite differences in the timing of upwelling and the large input of continental water during most of 2000. Variations in neither carbon nor nitrogen isotopes were correlated with either abundance or biomass at annual time scales, but heavy isotopes significantly accumulated during periods of zooplankton increase (spring and early summer). The consumption of nitrate during the spring can explain in part the progressive accumulation of heavy nitrogen isotopes during this period. In addition, the abundance of carnivorous zooplankton (mainly carnivorous copepods, siphonophores, and chaetognaths) was linearly related to the increase in heavy isotopes during the spring and, in the case of nitrogen, also during the whole study period. The computed linear relationships between isotope abundances and plankton species composition provided a way to further analyse the pelagic foodweb through the estimation of isotope reference values for primary consumers.
15
Pollard, A. M. "Isotopes and impact: a cautionary tale." Antiquity 85, no. 328 (May 2011): 631–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0003598x00068034.
Full textAbstract:
There can be no doubt that isotopic studies have made a huge contribution to archaeology in recent years, so much so that isotope archaeology is now seen as an essential subdiscipline of archaeology in much the same way as isotope geochemistry is a key subdiscipline of geochemistry. Ignoring for current purposes the contribution made by the measurement of a particular radioactive isotope of carbon (14C) since 1950, we can date the beginnings of isotope archaeology to the mid 1960s with the first measurements of lead isotopes in archaeological metals and slags by Brill and Wampler (1965, 1967). This was followed by carbon stable isotopes in human bone collagen in the late 1970s, building on previous work measuring σ13C in archaeological bone for radiocarbon determinations (Vogel & Van der Merwe 1977; Van der Merwe & Vogel 1978). Other isotopes followed rapidly, such as nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur and hydrogen for archaeological, palaeoecological or palaeoclimatological purposes and, more recently, the heavier radiogenic isotopes of strontium and neodymium for determining the provenance of organic and inorganic materials (Pollard & Heron 2008).
16
Tarboush, Rania A., Stephen E. MacAvoy, Stephen A. Macko, and Victoria Connaughton. "Contribution of catabolic tissue replacement to the turnover of stable isotopes in Danio rerio." Canadian Journal of Zoology 84, no. 10 (October 2006): 1453–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-136.
Full textAbstract:
Stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in organisms can trace nutrient sources and determine trophic interactions. However, time is required for an organism to reflect the isotopic composition of its diet. The rate at which an organism incorporates the isotopic signature of its food has a growth (k) component and a metabolic tissue replacement (m) component. This study shows that metabolic tissue replacement accounts for between 68% and 80% of the observed changes in isotopic signature in zebra danio ( Danio rerio (Hamilton, 1822)) muscle following a dietary shift, with the remainder owing to growth of new tissue. The half-lives of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur were ~53, ~147 and ~58 days, respectively. This indicates that a significant period of isotopic disequilibria exists before zebra danio resemble dietary isotopic composition. These results show that catabolic replacement of tissue, as well as growth, must be taken into account when predicting the rate of isotope incorporation in warm-water fish. When using isotopic ratios to decipher food webs and trophic interactions, researchers should be aware that the often held assumption of isotopic equilibrium between diet and consumer may be violated.
17
Middelburg, J. J. "Stable isotopes dissect food webs from top to the bottom." Biogeosciences Discussions 10, no. 9 (September 10, 2013): 14923–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-14923-2013.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Stable isotopes have been used extensively to study food web functioning, i.e. the flow of energy and matter among organisms. Traditional food-web studies are based on the natural variability of carbon and nitrogen isotopes and are limited to larger organisms that can be physically separated from their environment. Recent developments allow isotope ratio measurements of microbes and this in turn allows then measurement of entire food webs, i.e. from small producers at the bottom to large consumers at the top. Here, I provide a concise review on the use and potential of stable isotope to reconstruct end-to-end food webs. I will first discuss food web reconstruction based on natural abundances isotope data and will then show that the use of stable isotopes as deliberately added tracers provides complementary information. Finally, challenges and opportunities for end-to-end food web reconstructions in a changing world are discussed.
18
Montanari, Shaena. "Discrimination factors of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in meerkat feces." PeerJ 5 (June 13, 2017): e3436. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3436.
Full textAbstract:
Stable isotope analysis of feces can provide a non-invasive method for tracking the dietary habits of nearly any mammalian species. While fecal samples are often collected for macroscopic and genetic study, stable isotope analysis can also be applied to expand the knowledge of species-specific dietary ecology. It is somewhat unclear how digestion changes the isotope ratios of animals’ diets, so more controlled diet studies are needed. To date, most diet-to-feces controlled stable isotope experiments have been performed on herbivores, so in this study I analyzed the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in the diet and feces of the meerkat (Suricata suricatta), a small omnivorous mammal. The carbon trophic discrimination factor between diet and feces (Δ13Cfeces) is calculated to be 0.1 ± 1.5‰, which is not significantly different from zero, and in turn, not different than the dietary input. On the other hand, the nitrogen trophic discrimination factor (Δ15Nfeces) is 1.5 ± 1.1‰, which is significantly different from zero, meaning it is different than the average dietary input. Based on data generated in this experiment and a review of the published literature, carbon isotopes of feces characterize diet, while nitrogen isotope ratios of feces are consistently higher than dietary inputs, meaning a discrimination factor needs to be taken into account. The carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values of feces are an excellent snapshot of diet that can be used in concert with other analytical methods to better understand ecology, diets, and habitat use of mammals.
19
Miljević, Nada, and Dušan Golobočanin. "Potential Use of Environmental Isotopes in Pollutant Migration Studies." Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 58, no. 2 (June 1, 2007): 251–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/v10004-007-0015-5.
Full textAbstract:
Potential Use of Environmental Isotopes in Pollutant Migration StudiesThis article presents the use of natural abundance stable isotope (hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, chlorine) analysis data as a tool for providing important information about the origin of contaminants, the contribution of different sources to a multi-source plume, characterisation of their complex transport (rate and mechanisms) and for evaluating the success of contaminated site remediation. Isotopic signatures of contaminants are useful tracers of their sources, while isotopic fractionation can be used to quantitatively assess the progress of an environmental process such as biodegradation. This new isotopic approach is reliable and can offer more information than traditional techniques in pollutant migration studies, particularly after waste disposal. During biological degradation of any organic compound, molecules containing lighter isotopes are degraded, and the portion of heavier isotopes in the substrate is increased, identifying specific microbial roles in biogeochemical cycling. Since isotopic fractionation is proportional to degradation, depending on the type of contamination, a microbial degradation of 50% to 99% of the initial concentration can be quantified using isotope ratio measurements.
20
Ruiz-Cooley, R. I., Unai Markaida, D. Gendron, and S. Aguíñiga. "Stable isotopes in jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) beaks to estimate its trophic position: comparison between stomach contents and stable isotopes." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 86, no. 2 (March 13, 2006): 437–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315406013324.
Full textAbstract:
Stomach contents and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotope analysis were used to evaluate trophic relationships of jumbo squid, Dosidicus gigas. Buccal masses, beaks and stomach contents of large and medium maturing-sized jumbo squid and muscle from its main prey, the myctophid Benthosema panamense, were collected in the Gulf of California, Mexico during 1996, 1997 and 1999. Both the quantified C and N-isotope ratios in muscle, and stomach content analysis revealed that larger-sized maturing squid showed a higher trophic position than medium-sized individuals. However, a discrepancy between stomach contents versus stable isotope analyses was found in evaluating trophic relationships. Simple dilution models as a function of growth were used to estimate the C and N renewal dietary shift for jumbo squid. Estimates of the initial C and N pools in D. gigas with an initial age of 70 days and 210 days indicated isotopic shifts of 32% after a threefold biomass increase and 25% after a fourfold biomass increase, respectively. Additionally, beak samples of jumbo squid were evaluated as an alternative tissue to estimate squid trophic position using stable isotopes. The results showed a significant correlation between stable isotope ratios from muscle and beak samples. Muscle isotope values were higher than beak by 1% and 4% for δ13C and δ15N respectively. A test with jumbo squid beaks collected from a stomach of a stranded sperm whale confirmed the viability of this method.
21
Possamai, B., DJ Hoeinghaus, and AM Garcia. "Shifting baselines: Integrating ecological and isotopic time lags improves trophic position estimates in aquatic consumers." Marine Ecology Progress Series 666 (May 20, 2021): 19–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps13682.
Full textAbstract:
Nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N) are routinely used to estimate consumer trophic positions (TPs). This method is very sensitive to the chosen isotopic baseline, which should incorporate all temporal isotopic variability occurring in the base of the food web sustaining the consumers. However, there is still no consensus on the different methods to represent time intervals for isotopic assimilation. It is uncertain if researchers should compute a single baseline obtained by averaging δ15N source values across all time periods, multiple baselines based on δ15N source values collected concomitantly with consumers, or consider a time lag between sources and consumers. Aiming to provide empirical evidence to help select the best option, we designed 4 methods using different temporal lags between consumers and producers based on a 9 yr time series of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in an estuary. The 4 tested baseline methods considered the δ15N average of producers sampled in all years (Global); the same season as consumers (Concomitantly); the season before the collection of consumers (Delayed); and the previous season as well as the same season of consumer sampling (Interpolation). Comparison of results with an expected model (based on stomach content data) showed that the Delayed method is the most appropriate. We conclude that time lags in the incorporation of stable isotope values between sources and consumers must be considered in baseline δ15N calculations to improve TP estimates and provide more reliable modeling results. Additionally, we provide other recommendations to improve sampling designs when using stable isotopes in TP estimations.
22
Taylor, Matthew D., and Debashish Mazumder. "Stable isotopes reveal post-release trophodynamic and ontogenetic changes in a released finfish, mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus)." Marine and Freshwater Research 61, no. 3 (2010): 302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf09014.
Full textAbstract:
Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were analysed for hatchery-reared, recaptured and wild mulloway, Argyrosomus japonicus, to investigate temporal and growth-related changes in isotopic composition for stocked fish after release, and to evaluate changes in isotopic composition in terms of ontogenetic dietary switches. δ13C and δ15N values decreased and increased, respectively, after release. The isotope composition of released fish was distinct from wild fish until 200 days after release, but after 200 days post-release fish did not differ significantly from wild fish of similar or greater sizes. Abrupt dietary transitions from crustaceans to teleost fish (>50 cm total length (TL)) were evident in a rapid δ13C and δ15N change in wild mulloway, and δ15N was significantly greater in wild fish >65 cm TL compared with wild fish <50 cm TL. Multivariate carbon and nitrogen isotopic data were suitable for separating stocked and wild fish for up to 200 days after release, but did not separate wild fish grouped according to dietary composition. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition closely reflected dietary transitions and rapid adaptation by stocked mulloway to wild diets, which was evident in a high tissue turnover rate of up to 0.017 day–1. Stable isotopes are a useful tool for examining the integration of released fish into stocked ecosystems and can be used to describe convergence in the diets of wild and released fish.
23
L. Mantha, Olivier, Maya Laxmi Patel, Régis Hankard, and Arnaud De Luca. "Effect of Organic Food Intake on Nitrogen Stable Isotopes." Nutrients 12, no. 10 (September 28, 2020): 2965. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu12102965.
Full textAbstract:
Food choices affect the isotopic composition of the body with each food item leaving its distinct isotopic imprint. The common view is that the natural abundance of the stable isotopes of nitrogen (expressed as δ15N) is higher in animals than in plants that constitute our contemporary diets. Higher δ15N is thus increasingly viewed as a biomarker for meat and fish intake. Here we show that organic compared to conventional farming increases plant δ15N to an extent that can appreciably impact the performance of δ15N as a biomarker. The error that can arise when organic plants are consumed was modelled for the entire range of proportions of plant versus animal protein intake, and accounting for various intakes of organic and conventionally grown crops. This mass balance model allows the interpretation of differences in δ15N in light of organic food consumption. Our approach shows that the relationship between δ15N and meat and fish intake is highly contextual and susceptible to variation at the population, community or group level. We recommend that fertilization practices and organic plant consumption must not be overlooked when using δ15N as a biomarker for meat and fish intake or to assess compliance to nutritional interventions.
24
Wood, R. E., T. F. G. Higham, A. Buzilhova, A. Suvorov, J. Heinemeier, and J. Olsen. "Freshwater Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects at the Burial Ground of Minino, Northwest Russia." Radiocarbon 55, no. 1 (2013): 163–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.2458/azu_js_rc.v55i1.16448.
Full textAbstract:
If ancient carbon is incorporated into lakes and rivers, it can be transferred along the foodchain where it can cause radiocarbon dates to appear erroneously old. This effect is known as the 14C freshwater reservoir effect (FRE), and causes particular problems when dating human remains. Several studies have attempted to use carbon and/or nitrogen stable isotopes to predict the size of the FRE, with mixed success. We have examined whether the FRE at the Mesolithic-Neolithic burial ground of Minino, northwest Russia, is correlated with these stable isotope systems. To assess the size of the FRE, 9 pairs of human bone and burial goods were dated, such as spears and pendants made of herbivore bone. In addition, further human and faunal bones were analyzed for carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. Although these stable isotopes suggest that freshwater resources dominated the protein intake of those buried at Minino, no relationship between stable isotopes and the FRE was found. Instead, we found that the FRE was relatively consistent at 490 ± 80 14C yr. With caution, this can be subtracted from burials at Minino to provide a low-resolution chronology for the burial ground. We demonstrate that it is not possible to assume that a relationship exists between stable isotopes and 14C, and each population thought to be affected by a FRE must be examined individually.
25
Wood, R. E., T. F. G. Higham, A. Buzilhova, A. Suvorov, J. Heinemeier, and J. Olsen. "Freshwater Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects at the Burial Ground of Minino, Northwest Russia." Radiocarbon 55, no. 01 (2013): 163–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0033822200047883.
Full textAbstract:
If ancient carbon is incorporated into lakes and rivers, it can be transferred along the foodchain where it can cause radiocarbon dates to appear erroneously old. This effect is known as the14C freshwater reservoir effect (FRE), and causes particular problems when dating human remains. Several studies have attempted to use carbon and/or nitrogen stable isotopes to predict the size of the FRE, with mixed success. We have examined whether the FRE at the Mesolithic-Neolithic burial ground of Minino, northwest Russia, is correlated with these stable isotope systems. To assess the size of the FRE, 9 pairs of human bone and burial goods were dated, such as spears and pendants made of herbivore bone. In addition, further human and faunal bones were analyzed for carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. Although these stable isotopes suggest that freshwater resources dominated the protein intake of those buried at Minino, no relationship between stable isotopes and the FRE was found. Instead, we found that the FRE was relatively consistent at 490 ± 8014C yr. With caution, this can be subtracted from burials at Minino to provide a low-resolution chronology for the burial ground. We demonstrate that it is not possible to assume that a relationship exists between stable isotopes and14C, and each population thought to be affected by a FRE must be examined individually.
26
Yoo, Jisu, and Yun S. Kim. "Identification of Distribution of Nitrogen Pollutants Based on Nitrogen and Oxygen Stable Isotope Ration in Nitrate from Water in North Hangang River, Korea." Journal of Environmental Analysis, Health and Toxicology 24, no. 4 (December 31, 2021): 164–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.36278/jeaht.24.4.164.
Full textAbstract:
To identify the origin of major pollutants, we determined the distribution of stable isotopes of δ<sup>15</sup>N and δ<sup>18</sup>O in nitrate extracted from water samples and sediments collected at two-month intervals during 2019-2020 from the North Hangang River, Korea. Stable isotope ratios were measured to investigate nitrogen contamination sources in the water system. This study determined that the North Hangang River was affected by soil organic matter, livestock manure, and domestic sewage, and that the streams and rivers flowing into the main stream of the North Hangang River were affected by domestic sewage or livestock manure, resulting in relatively heavy nitrogen isotope ratios. Generally, the concentration of nitrate nitrogen was higher in the inflowing streams (Geumsan, Hongcheon, Mukhyeon, and Gyeongan district) than at the main stream. Nitrogen pollution due to chemical fertilizers and soil organic matter were different in 2019 and 2020, and the ratio of stable nitrogen isotopes decreased owing to the influence of rainfall. Sediment in the North Hangang River has been affected by agricultural soil organic matter and livestock manure, showing the necessity to nitrogen pollutant management, particularly with pollutants such as soil organic matter and livestock manure.
27
West, Jason B., Janet M. Hurley, and James R. Ehleringer. "Stable Isotope Ratios of Marijuana. I. Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotopes Describe Growth Conditions*." Journal of Forensic Sciences 54, no. 1 (January 2009): 84–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00909.x.
Full text
28
Lesser, Michael P., Marc Slattery, and Keir J. Macartney. "Using Stable Isotope Analyses to Assess the Trophic Ecology of Scleractinian Corals." Oceans 3, no. 4 (November 14, 2022): 527–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/oceans3040035.
Full textAbstract:
Studies on the trophic ecology of scleractinian corals often include stable isotope analyses of tissue and symbiont carbon and nitrogen. These approaches have provided critical insights into the trophic sources and sinks that are essential to understanding larger-scale carbon and nitrogen budgets on coral reefs. While stable isotopes have identified most shallow water (<30 m) corals as mixotrophic, with variable dependencies on autotrophic versus heterotrophic resources, corals in the mesophotic zone (~30–150 m) transition to heterotrophy with increasing depth because of decreased photosynthetic productivity. Recently, these interpretations of the stable isotope data to distinguish between autotrophy and heterotrophy have been criticized because they are confounded by increased nutrients, reverse translocation of photosynthate, and changes in irradiance that do not influence photosynthate translocation. Here we critically examine the studies that support these criticisms and show that they are contextually not relevant to interpreting the transition to heterotrophy in corals from shallow to mesophotic depths. Additionally, new data and a re-analysis of previously published data show that additional information (e.g., skeletal isotopic analysis) improves the interpretation of bulk stable isotope data in determining when a transition from primary dependence on autotrophy to heterotrophy occurs in scleractinian corals.
29
De Aquino Ferreira, Keltony, Leandro Rabello Monteiro, and Ana Paula Madeira Di Beneditto. "The niche of shrimp stocks (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri Heller, 1862) from southeastern Brazil: a stable isotope approach." Journal of Threatened Taxa 12, no. 9 (June 26, 2020): 16173–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.5961.12.9.16173-16176.
Full textAbstract:
The penaeid shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri is the second most important species of crustacean in Brazilian fisheries. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen are chemical proxies to provide quantitative information about the consumer isotopic niche, which is associated with its feeding ecology and ecological niche in the environment. This study evaluated the niche dimensions of X. kroyeri from different stocks through stable isotopes determinations. Shrimps were sampled in four fishing areas from southeastern Brazil (Vitória and Anchieta, in Espírito Santo State, and Atafona and Farol de São Tomé, in Rio de Janeiro State). The stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were determined in the abdominal muscle. Quantitative metrics of the isotopic niche estimated the trophic diversity and trophic redundancy among stocks. Shrimp stocks from Espírito Santo State had highest trophic diversity, indicating greater variety of food sources and wider utilization of the available food sources. The shrimps from Rio de Janeiro State had highest trophic redundancy, revealing a more homogeneous dietary pattern. The isotopic niche approach allowed the discrimination of X. kroyeri stocks distributed in southeastern Brazil, and the results will be helpful to assist fisheries management.
30
Marentes, E., R. A. Vanderpool, and B. J. Shelp. "Boron-isotope fractionation in plants." Canadian Journal of Plant Science 77, no. 4 (October 1, 1997): 627–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/p97-010.
Full textAbstract:
Naturally-occurring variations in the abundance of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and other elements in plants have been reported and are now used to understand various physiological processes in plants. Boron (B) isotopic variation in several plant species has been documented, but no determination as to whether plants fractionate the stable isotopes of boron, 11B and 10B, has been made. Here, we report that plants with differing B requirements (wheat, corn and broccoli) fractionated boron. The whole plant was enriched in 11B relative to the nutrient solution, and the leaves were enriched in 10B and the stem in 11B relative to the xylem sap. Although at present, a mechanistic role for boron in plants is uncertain, potential fractionating mechanisms are discussed. Key words: Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck (broccoli), Triticum aestivum L. (wheat), Zea mays L. (corn), boron, isotope fractionation
31
Sare, David T. J., John S. Millar, and Frederick J. Longstaffe. "Nitrogen- and carbon-isotope fractionation between mothers and offspring in red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 83, no. 5 (May 1, 2005): 712–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z05-054.
Full textAbstract:
Small mammals are income breeders, but the degree to which females draw from maternal reserves and partition nutrients to the mammary glands in the wild is not known. This study examined stable-nitrogen and stable-carbon isotopes in red-backed vole, Clethrionomys gapperi (Vigors, 1830), hair to determine mother–offspring trophic relationships and to consider the extent to which voles rely on maternal reserves during lactation. Both dependent and independent young showed isotopic enrichment in 15N and depletion of 13C in their hair relative to mothers. We suggest that growing offspring, both dependent and independent, may catabolize body reserves to support both growth and moult. We propose that the nitrogen- and carbon-isotope compositions of hair may be more useful indicators of metabolic rate than mother–offspring trophic relationships in small mammals.
32
Mays, S. A., M. P. Richards, and B. T. Fuller. "Bone stable isotope evidence for infant feeding in Mediaeval England." Antiquity 76, no. 293 (September 2002): 654–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0003598x00091067.
Full textAbstract:
This paper is a first study of duration of breastfeeding using bone stable isotopes in infants in a British palaeopopulation, from the deserted Mediaeval village of Wharram Percy, England. Nitrogen stable isotope analysis suggests cessation of breastfeeding between 1 and 2 years of age. Comparison with Mediaeval documentary sources suggests that recommendations of physicians regarding infant feeding may have influenced common practice in this period.
33
Keegan, William F., and Michael J. DeNiro. "Stable Carbon- and Nitrogen-Isotope Ratios of Bone Collagen Used to Study Coral-Reef and Terrestrial Components of Prehistoric Bahamian Diet." American Antiquity 53, no. 2 (April 1988): 320–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/281022.
Full textAbstract:
Previous studies have demonstrated that stable carbon- and nitrogen-isotope ratios of bone collagen can be used to distinguish marine and terrestrial components of prehistoric human diet. However, when this method was first applied to prehistoric Bahamians, their bone-collagen nitrogen-isotope ratios were found to be outside the ranges observed for other coastal populations that ate substantial quantities of marine foods. This study examines in detail the distributions of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in Bahamian food chains. Our results indicate that the unique isotopic signature in bone collagen of prehistoric Bahamians reflects the enrichment of 13C and the depletion of 15N in seagrass and coral-reef communities relative to other oceanic environments. The results also demonstrate that bone-collagen 13C/12C ratios can be used to distinguish marine from terrestrial contributions in the prehistoric Lucayan Taino diet, and that 15N/14N ratios serve to identify the use of certain marine food groups. This approach should prove useful for the study of consumption practices in other tropical coral-reef environments and as a method for evaluating theoretically predicted optimal diets.
34
Alexander, Stuart A., Keith A. Hobson, Cheri L. Gratto-Trevor, and Antony W. Diamond. "Conventional and isotopic determinations of shorebird diets at an inland stopover: the importance of invertebrates and Potamogeton pectinatus tubers." Canadian Journal of Zoology 74, no. 6 (June 1, 1996): 1057–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z96-117.
Full textAbstract:
We used gut-content and stable-isotope techniques to determine diets of shorebirds staging at a prairie wetland complex. Stable-isotope ratios for carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) varied greatly within and among prey types and shorebirds, depending on location within the complex. Both dietary techniques suggested that Long-billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus scolopaceus) and Stilt Sandpipers (Calidris himantopus) ate mostly invertebrates, whereas Hudsonian (Limosa haemastica) and Marbled godwits (Limosa fedoa) ate mainly Potamogeton pectinatus tubers. In comparison, the stable-isotope technique indicated that godwits, especially juvenile Marbled Godwits, ate more invertebrates than is indicated by the gut-content analysis. The discrepancies between methods reflect the potential for bias in the application of these techniques. Researchers using stable isotopes to assess migratory shorebird diets should be aware of possible complications arising from isotopic variability within prey types, even over small geographic ranges. High isotopic variability at inland agro-wetland complexes might preclude reliable isotopic assessment of shorebird diets, especially long term. Rhizivory in godwits may be more common than is generally recognized, especially at inland stopovers during autumn migration in both North America and Eurasia, and should be factored into conservation initiatives for these species.
35
McNicol, Gavin, Zhongjie Yu, Z. Carter Berry, Nathan Emery, Fiona M. Soper, and Wendy H. Yang. "Tracing plant–environment interactions from organismal to planetary scales using stable isotopes: a mini review." Emerging Topics in Life Sciences 5, no. 2 (February 26, 2021): 301–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/etls20200277.
Full textAbstract:
Natural isotope variation forms a mosaic of isotopically distinct pools across the biosphere and flows between pools integrate plant ecology with global biogeochemical cycling. Carbon, nitrogen, and water isotopic ratios (among others) can be measured in plant tissues, at root and foliar interfaces, and in adjacent atmospheric, water, and soil environments. Natural abundance isotopes provide ecological insight to complement and enhance biogeochemical research, such as understanding the physiological conditions during photosynthetic assimilation (e.g. water stress) or the contribution of unusual plant water or nutrient sources (e.g. fog, foliar deposition). While foundational concepts and methods have endured through four decades of research, technological improvements that enable measurement at fine spatiotemporal scales, of multiple isotopes, and of isotopomers, are advancing the field of stable isotope ecology. For example, isotope studies now benefit from the maturation of field-portable infrared spectroscopy, which allows the exploration of plant–environment sensitivity at physiological timescales. Isotope ecology is also benefiting from, and contributing to, new understanding of the plant–soil–atmosphere system, such as improving the representation of soil carbon pools and turnover in land surface models. At larger Earth-system scales, a maturing global coverage of isotope data and new data from site networks offer exciting synthesis opportunities to merge the insights of single-or multi-isotope analysis with ecosystem and remote sensing data in a data-driven modeling framework, to create geospatial isotope products essential for studies of global environmental change.
36
Bode, Antonio, Angel F. Lamas, and Carmen Mompeán. "Effects of Upwelling Intensity on Nitrogen and Carbon Fluxes through the Planktonic Food Web off A Coruña (Galicia, NW Spain) Assessed with Stable Isotopes." Diversity 12, no. 4 (March 25, 2020): 121. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12040121.
Full textAbstract:
The input of new nutrients by upwelling in shelf waters, and the associated carbon and nitrogen fluxes, can be traced by their stable isotope signatures in organic matter. Here, we analyze the relationships between upwelling intensity and natural abundance of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in seston, sedimented particles, and four plankton size fractions (200 to 5000 µm) sampled monthly during 2010 and 2011 in a seasonal upwelling ecosystem. Upwelling modified the seasonal warming stratification by introducing cold and nutrient-rich waters in subsurface layers, enhancing chlorophyll-a and diatom abundance. Seston and sedimented particles were enriched in heavy nitrogen (but not carbon) isotopes linearly with upwelling intensity, indicating a primary effect of upwelling on phytoplankton production. In contrast, all plankton fractions were enriched in heavy carbon isotopes with upwelling, mainly due to the consumption of diatoms. These results confirm the differential effect of upwelling on nitrogen and carbon fluxes in the plankton food web. Direct effects of the new nitrogen inputs on phytoplankton are less evident with the increase of plankton size as nitrogen is repeatedly recycled, while the enriched carbon of plankton suggests the consumption of diatoms during upwelling. We provide linear equations to assess the influence of changes in upwelling intensity on nitrogen and carbon fluxes in seston and plankton in this ecosystem, as well as to estimate reference baseline values for food web studies.
37
Bennett, J. A., D. R. Gillespie, and S. L. VanLaerhoven. "Investigating the diet of the omnivorous mirid Dicyphus hesperus using stable isotopes." Bulletin of Entomological Research 99, no. 4 (January 21, 2009): 347–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485308006378.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractOmnivory involves numerous feeding relationships and a complex web of interactions. When using omnivores in biocontrol, these interactions need to be understood to maximize feeding on the target species and minimize non-target interactions. Dicyphus hesperus is used along with Encarsia formosa for biocontrol of whiteflies in greenhouse tomato crops. Dicyphus hesperus is a generalist omnivore which feeds on all components of the system. To quantify these interactions, stable isotope analysis was used to identify trophic position with nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) and plant sources with carbon isotopes (δ13C). Feeding trials were used to establish baseline isotopic data for D. hesperus and their diet, including Verbascum thapsus, an alternative plant food. Cage trials were used to monitor population abundances and the isotopic signature of D. hesperus. In feeding trials, D. hesperus were enriched relative to their food, suggesting an elevated trophic position. However, large amounts of isotopic variation were found within all diet components, with only V. thapsus exhibiting a distinct signature. In cage trials, the average δ15N and δ13C of the omnivore declined over time, coinciding with declines in total available prey, though it may be confounded by changes in temperature. The range of δ13C, but not the range of δ15N, also declined over time. This suggests a change in the plant source within the diet, but also some unquantified variability within the population. We suggest that diet variability exists within D. hesperus populations, declining as prey become less abundant.
38
Krumins, Janis, Maris Klavins, Raimonds Krukovskis, Arturs Viksna, and Lauma Busa. "THE EVALUATION OF STABLE ISOTOPIC RATIOS 13C AND 15N IN HUMIC ACIDS ALONG A FEN PEAT PROFILE." ENVIRONMENT. TECHNOLOGIES. RESOURCES. Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference 1 (June 20, 2019): 123. http://dx.doi.org/10.17770/etr2019vol1.4127.
Full textAbstract:
Mires are known as consistent environmental archives, but humic acids are the fraction of peat that is most recalcitrant and refractory to organic matter degradation, thus data on environmental changes during mire development can be recorded into them. This work was focused on the studies of stable isotopic ratios delta carbon-13 and delta nitrogen-15, and their distribution in humic acids within fen peat layers of different depths and peat composition. The variations in delta carbon-13 reflect isotopic variations in peat-forming plants over time and can be considered as a function of photosynthetic pathway that is being used to fix carbon dioxide. At the same time, variations in delta nitrogen-15 show nitrogen fixation in peat-forming plants and can be traced along with peat decomposition degree and depth. Properties of humic acids were studied in 2018 at 3 fens located in Latvia and Southern Finland, and comparatively they show properties. The method used for the determination of stable isotopes was the isotope-ratio mass spectrometry that was performed in the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Latvia. Results on delta carbon-13 indicate signal of C3 peat-forming plants, while signal of C4 peat-forming plants is not evident, which can be explained by non-efficient carbon dioxide fixation in fen vegetation. Results on delta nitrogen-15 show variations in nitrogen fixation in fen vegetation. Data show nitrogen fixation in terrestrial plants, however significant shifts in absolute isotope values indicate dependence on variations in peat decomposition degree and botanical composition. Data suggest that differences in peat botanical composition, decomposition degree and site dependent characteristics reflect in differences in delta carbon-13 and delta nitrogen-15 variations
39
Holmes, M. Elizabeth, Peter J. Müller, Ralph R. Schneider, Monika Segl, Jürgen Pätzold, and Gerold Wefer. "Stable nitrogen isotopes in Angola Basin surface sediments." Marine Geology 134, no. 1-2 (September 1996): 1–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0025-3227(96)00031-x.
Full text
40
Hur, Jun, Min-Ho Jang, Kyung-Hoon Shin, Kyung-Lak Lee, and Kwang-Hyeon Chang. "Ecological Niche Space of Fish Communities in Impounded Sections of Large Rivers: Its Application to Assessment of the Impact of Weirs on River Ecosystems." Sustainability 10, no. 12 (December 14, 2018): 4784. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su10124784.
Full textAbstract:
To estimate the impact of weirs on large river fish communities, we applied the ecological niche space (ENS) measured quantitatively using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios to the monitoring of effects of weirs constructed on four major rivers in Korea. ENS was calculated using the Bayesian stable isotope in R statistics. The ENS of fish communities showed persistent differences between upstream and downstream areas of all studied weirs. The ENSs of omnivores were larger in upstream impounded areas but the ENSs of predator species, both endemic (Erythroculter erythropterus) and exotic (Micropterus salmoides) predators had decreased ENSs in upstream areas. E. erythropterus showed horizontal variations in a wide range of carbon stable isotopes, whereas M. salmoides showed vertical variations in nitrogen stable isotopes. The results suggest that weir construction may have species-specific impact on the ENS of fish community by impoundment and increase niche overlap in upstream areas of the weir. The measured ENS of fish community was significantly correlated with the relative abundance of tolerant species negatively, whereas correlated with that of endemic species positively, suggesting that the ENS can be used as a comprehensive indicator of habitat conditions.
41
Hobson, Keith A., and Franz Bairlein. "Isotopic fractionation and turnover in captive Garden Warblers (Sylvia borin): implications for delineating dietary and migratory associations in wild passerines." Canadian Journal of Zoology 81, no. 9 (September 1, 2003): 1630–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z03-140.
Full textAbstract:
There is currently a great deal of interest in using stable-isotope methods to investigate diet and migratory connections in wild passerines. To apply these methods successfully, it is important to understand how stable isotopes discriminate or change between diet and the tissue of interest and what the element-turnover rates are in metabolically active tissues. Of particular use are studies that sample birds non-destructively through the use of blood and feathers. We investigated patterns of isotopic discrimination between diet and blood and feathers of Garden Warblers (Sylvia borin) raised on an isotopically homogeneous diet (48% C, 5% N) and then switched to one of two experimental diets, mealworms (56.8% C, 8.3% N) and elderberries, Sambucus niger (47.4% C, 1.5% N). We established that the discrimination factors between diet and blood appropriate for stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes are +1.7‰ and +2.4‰, respectively. For feathers, these values were +2.7‰ and +4‰, respectively. Turnover of elemental nitrogen in whole blood was best approximated by an exponential-decay model with a half-life of 11.0 ± 0.8 days (mean ± SD). Corresponding turnover of carbon was estimated to range from 5.0 ± 0.7 to 5.7 ± 0.8 days. We conclude that this decoupling of nitrogen- and carbon-turnover rates can be explained by differences in metabolic routing of dietary macromolecules. Our results suggest that tracking frugivory in migratory passerines that switch diets between insects and fruits may be complicated if only a trophic-level estimate is made using δ15N measurements.
42
Godiksen, Jane A., Ming-Tsung Chung, Arild Folkvord, and Peter Grønkjær. "Effects of temperature on tissue–diet isotopic spacing of nitrogen and carbon in otolith organic matter." Marine and Freshwater Research 70, no. 12 (2019): 1757. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf19054.
Full textAbstract:
Reconstruction of the trophic position of a fish can be performed by analysing stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes in otolith protein. However, ambient temperature may affect the tissue–diet isotopic spacing of stable isotopes from diet to predator tissue and bias estimates of trophic position. To test this, otolith protein, heart and muscle tissue from a rearing experiment with juvenile cod held at different temperatures (4, 7, 10 and 14°C) were analysed. There was no significant effect of temperature on otolith δ15N, whereas muscle and heart exhibited a slight decrease in δ15N values with increasing temperature corresponding to maximum of 0.6‰ over the 10°C range. By contrast, the otolith protein δ13C values at 4 and 7°C were significantly higher than for 10 and 14°C, suggesting an approximate 1‰ increased tissue–diet enrichment at the lower temperatures. Temperature had no significant effect on muscle and heart δ13C values. Considering the annual mean variation in ocean temperatures, our results indicate that the trophic signals recorded in the otoliths will reflect changes in diet isotope values with little bias from the ambient temperature experienced by the fish.
43
Reichwaldt, Elke S., and Anas Ghadouani. "Can mussels be used as sentinel organisms for characterization of pollution in urban water systems?" Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 20, no. 7 (July 8, 2016): 2679–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2679-2016.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Urbanization strongly impacts aquatic ecosystems by decreasing water quality and altering water cycles. Today, much effort is put towards the restoration and conservation of urban waterbodies to enhance ecosystem service provision, leading to liveable and sustainable cities. To enable a sustainable management of waterbodies, the quantification of the temporal and spatial variability of pollution levels and biogeochemical processes is essential. Stable isotopes have widely been used to identify sources of pollution in ecosystems. For example, increased nitrogen levels in waterbodies are often accompanied with a higher nitrogen stable isotope signature (δ15N), which can then be detected in higher trophic levels such as mussels. The main aim of this study was to assess the suitability of nitrogen stable isotopes as measured in mussels (Mytilus edulis), as an indicator able to resolve spatial and temporal variability of nitrogen pollution in an urban, tidally influenced estuary (Swan River estuary in Western Australia). Nitrogen concentrations were generally low and nitrogen stable isotope values of nitrate throughout the estuary were well within natural values of uncontaminated groundwater, organic nitrate from soils, or marine-derived sources, indicating groundwater inflow rather than pollution by human activity was responsible for differences between sites. The δ15N signature in mussels was very stable over time within each site which indicated that mussels can be used as time-integrated sentinel organisms in urban systems. In addition, our study shows that the nature of the relationship between δ15N in the mussels and the nitrate in the water can provide insights into site-specific biogeochemical transformation of nutrients. We suggest that mussels and other sentinel organisms can become a robust tool for the detection and characterization of the dynamics of a number of emerging anthropogenic pollutants of concern in urban water systems.
44
Merrett, Deborah C., Christina Cheung, Christopher Meiklejohn, and Michael P. Richards. "Stable isotope analysis of human bone from Ganj Dareh, Iran, ca. 10,100 calBP." PLOS ONE 16, no. 3 (March 2, 2021): e0247569. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247569.
Full textAbstract:
We report here on stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope values from bone collagen of human (n = 20) and faunal (n = 11) remains from the Early Neolithic site of Ganj Dareh, Iran, dating to ca. 10,100 cal. BP. Our focus explores how isotope values of human bone vary by age and sex, and evaluates dietary practices at this site. It also provides a baseline for future studies of subsistence in the early Holocene Central Zagros Mountains, from the site with the first evidence for human ovicaprid management in the Near East. Human remains include individuals of all age groups for dietary reconstruction, as well two Ottoman intrusive burials for temporal and cultural comparison. All analyzed individuals exhibited δ13C and δ15N values consistent with a diet based heavily on C3 terrestrial sources. There is no statistically significant difference between the isotopic compositions of the two sexes, though males appear to show larger variations compared to females. Interesting patterns in the isotopic compositions of the subadults suggested weaning children may be fed with supplements with distinctive δ13C values. Significant difference in sulfur isotope values between humans and fauna could be the earliest evidence of transhumance and could identify one older adult male as a possible transhumant shepherd. Both Ottoman individuals had distinctively different δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S values compared to the Neolithic individuals. This is the first large scale analysis of human stable isotopes from the eastern end of the early Holocene Fertile Crescent. It provides a baseline for future intersite exploration of stable isotopes and insight into the lifeways, health, and processes of neolithisation associated with the origins of goat domestication at Ganj Dareh and the surrounding Central Zagros.
45
Müldner, Gundula. "Stable isotopes and diet: their contribution to Romano-British research." Antiquity 87, no. 335 (March 1, 2013): 137–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0003598x00048675.
Full textAbstract:
The study of stable isotopes surviving in human bone is fast becoming a standard response in the analysis of cemeteries. Reviewing the state of the art for Roman Britain, the author shows clear indications of a change in diet (for the better) following the Romanisation of Iron Age Britain—including more seafood, and more nutritional variety in the towns. While samples from the bones report an average of diet over the years leading up to an individual's death, carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures taken from the teeth may have a biographical element—capturing those childhood dinners. In this way migrants have been detected—as in the likely presence of Africans in Roman York. While not unexpected, these results show the increasing power of stable isotopes to comment on populations subject to demographic pressures of every kind.
46
Sehrawat, Jagmahender Singh, and Jaspreet Kaur. "Role of stable isotope analyses in reconstructing past life-histories and the provenancing human skeletal remains: a review." Anthropological Review 80, no. 3 (September 1, 2017): 243–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/anre-2017-0017.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThis article reviews the present scenario of use of stable isotopes (mainly δ13C, δ15N, δ18O,87Sr) to trace past life behaviours like breast feeding and weaning practices, the geographic origin, migration history, paleodiet and subsistence patterns of past populations from the chemical signatures of isotopes imprinted in human skeletal remains. This approach is based on the state that food-web isotopic signatures are seen in the human bones and teeth and such signatures can change parallely with a variety of biogeochemical processes. By measuring δ13C and δ15N isotopic values of subadult tissues of different ages, the level of breast milk ingestion at particular ages and the components of the complementary foods can be assessed. Strontium and oxygen isotopic analyses have been used for determining the geographic origins and reconstructing the way of life of past populations as these isotopes can map the isotopic outline of the area from where the person acquired water and food during initial lifetime. The isotopic values of strontium and oxygen values are considered specific to geographical areas and serve as reliable chemical signatures of migration history of past human populations (local or non-local to the site). Previous isotopic studies show that the subsistence patterns of the past human populations underwent extensive changes from nomadic to complete agricultural dependence strategies. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic values of local fauna of any archaeological site can be used to elucidate the prominence of freshwater resources in the diet of the past human populations found near the site. More extensive research covering isotopic descriptions of various prehistoric, historic and modern populations is needed to explore the role of stable isotope analysis for provenancing human skeletal remains and assessing human migration patterns/routes, geographic origins, paleodiet and subsistence practices of past populations.
47
Kawichai, Sawaeng, Tippawan Prapamontol, Fang Cao, Wenhuai Song, and Yanlin Zhang. "Source Identification of PM2.5 during a Smoke Haze Period in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Using Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes." Atmosphere 13, no. 7 (July 20, 2022): 1149. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071149.
Full textAbstract:
Open biomass burning (BB) has contributed severely to the ambient levels of particulate matter of less than 2.5 μm diameter (PM2.5) in upper northern Thailand over the last decade. Some methods have been reported to identify the sources of burning using chemical compositions, i.e., ions, metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. However, recent advances in nuclear techniques have been limited in use due to their specific instrumentation. The aims of this study were to investigate the sources of ambient PM2.5 in Chiang Mai city using stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen isotopes (δ15N). The mean concentrations of total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) in PM2.5 were 12.2 ± 5.42 and 1.91 ± 1.07 μg/m3, respectively, whereas δ13C and δ15N PM2.5 were −26.1 ± 0.77‰ and 10.3 ± 2.86‰, respectively. This isotopic analysis confirmed that biomass burning was the source of PM2.5 and that C3 and C4 plants contributed about 74% and 26%, respectively. These study results confirm that the stable isotope is an important tool in identifying the sources of aerosols.
48
Barrick, Reese E. "Isotope Paleobiology of the Vertebrates: Ecology, Physiology, and Diagenesis." Paleontological Society Papers 4 (October 1998): 101–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1089332600000413.
Full textAbstract:
Isotopic studies of vertebrate material have a short history, while isotopic analyses of invertebrates originated in the 1940's. Interestingly, the driving force behind Harold Urey's desire to derive a carbonate paleotemperature scale in the 1940's and 1950's was the hope that it would solve the mystery of dinosaur extinction by demonstrating temperature changes at the K/T boundary. The most useful and commonly investigated stable isotopes for paleobiologic studies of vertebrates are carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. Oxygen is available from the inorganic bone or tooth apatite phase. Carbon is most often derived from tooth enamel carbonate or organic collagen, and nitrogen is derived from collagen. Each of these stable isotopes provides information on different aspects of an animal's biology and when combined, provide powerful analyses for ecological and evolutionary reconstructions. In the 1970's, much work was done describing the carbon and nitrogen variations in plants. This period was followed in the late 1970's and early 1980's by research on these isotopic variables in mammals (e.g., DeNiro and Epstein, 1978, 1981; Vogel, 1978; Van der Merwe, N.J., 1982). The utility of these isotopes for dietary recognition led to their extensive investigation in archeological studies. Not until the mid to late 1980's and 1990's have these isotopes been utilized in both the inorganic component of teeth and bones as well as the organic component of bones in Pleistocene and older paleobiologic studies. The 1980's also saw the emergence of research on the oxygen isotopic variations in mammals. However, the focus of isotopic studies on vertebrates was not for paleobiologic purposes, but rather, for attempts to derive paleohydrologic or paleoclimatic information from them (e.g., Longinelli, 1984; Luz et al., 1984).
49
LK, Duffy. "Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes of A Sentinel Species, the Western Alaska Red Fox (Vulpes Vulpes)." Advances in Clinical Toxicology 5, no. 1 (2020): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.23880/act-16000181.
Full text
50
Murry, Brent A., John M. Farrell, Mark A. Teece, and Peter M. Smyntek. "Effect of lipid extraction on the interpretation of fish community trophic relationships determined by stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 63, no. 10 (October 1, 2006): 2167–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f06-116.
Full textAbstract:
Stable isotopes of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are commonly used to evaluate trophic relationships and food web structure; however, the decision to extract lipids or not may influence the interpretation of results. Lipid extraction is not a universal practice, thus pooling or comparing results across studies may not always be appropriate. Additionally, common lipid extraction techniques remove not only lipids, but also N-containing compounds that may alter the δ15N value of a sample. We examined differences in the interpretation of fish community trophic structure derived from δ13C and δ15N stable isotope data based on lipid-extracted and nonextracted samples from nine freshwater fish species. Lipid extraction significantly increased δ13C and δ15N, causing a positive shift in overall food web placement. The magnitude of isotopic change did not, however, differ among species, such that the overall interpretation of the fish community structure was not altered. The consistent increase in both C and N isotopes did, however, significantly alter the placement of the food web in coordinate space relative to nonextracted webs. Cross-study comparisons need to consider these procedural inconsistencies when drawing conclusions from multiple studies.