Stable isotopes in animal ecology: the effect of ration size on the trophic shift of C and N isotopes between feed and carcass

Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies
Ulfert Focken

Abstract

The feeding ecology of living or extinct animal species is now frequently studied by analysis of stable isotope ratios in small quantities of carcass or remains such as bones or teeth. Although there are numerous papers on these applications in natural systems, the theoretical and experimental basis of this method is weak. In order to evaluate the effect of different feeding levels on the carbon and nitrogen trophic shift, an experiment was carried out in which fish (Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, initial weight 40.8 g) were fed for 4 weeks at three levels from slightly above maintenance to almost satiation. For each treatment, three fish were reared individually. The isotopic ratios of carbon and nitrogen in feeds and fish carcasses were determined and in the case of carbon this was done separately for lipids and lipid-free matter. The trophic shift was calculated at each feeding level from the delta13C and delta15N ratios of feed and fish. There was a significant trend towards higher values for the trophic shift at higher feeding rates in all fractions analysed. Although further research is required, it can be concluded that the effect of feeding level cannot be ignored when the diet of an animal has to be calculated fr...Continue Reading

Citations

May 10, 2013·Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies·Maurine W DietzMarcel Klaassen
Dec 3, 2008·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Carlos Martínez del RioLeonard Z Gannes
Jan 16, 2013·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology·Julia Gaye-SiesseggerUlfert Focken
Aug 18, 2005·Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry : RCM·Benjamin T FullerRobert E M Hedges
May 10, 2005·Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry : RCM·Klaus J PetzkeCornelia C Metges
Jul 10, 2008·Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry : RCM·Marshall D McCue, Erik D Pollock
Nov 17, 2010·Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry : RCM·Caroline A DennisAaron T Fisk
Jan 7, 2010·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Christina Warinner, Noreen Tuross
Jul 24, 2015·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Laurie J Reitsema
Jan 25, 2005·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology·J Gaye-SiesseggerK Becker

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