Sources of intraspecific variation in the isotopic niche of a semi-aquatic predator in a human-modified landscape.

ABSTRACT: Intraspecific variation modulates patterns of resource use by species, potentially affecting the structure and stability of food webs. In human-modified landscapes, habitat disturbance modifies trophic interactions and intraspecific niche variation, impacting population persistence. Here, we investigated the relationship of sex, ontogeny, and habitat factors with the trophic niche of Caiman crocodilus in an agricultural landscape. We evaluated temporal variation in the trophic niche parameters using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis from different body tissues. We found that caimans exploit the same carbon and nitrogen pools through time, with low isotopic variability between seasons, partly due to the slow isotope turnover rates of tissues in crocodilians. Conversely, the

SUBMITTER: Pereira AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10474837 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature