Amino acid-specific isotopes reveal changing five-dimensional niche segregation in Pacific seabirds over 50 years.

ABSTRACT: Hutchison's niche theory suggests that coexisting competing species occupy non-overlapping hypervolumes, which are theoretical spaces encompassing more than three dimensions, within an n-dimensional space. The analysis of multiple stable isotopes can be used to test these ideas where each isotope can be considered a dimension of niche space. These hypervolumes may change over time in response to variation in behaviour or habitat, within or among species, consequently changing the niche space itself. Here, we use isotopic values of carbon and nitrogen of ten amino acids, as well as sulphur isotopic values, to produce multi-isotope models to examine niche segregation among an assemblage of five coexisting seabird species (ancient murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus, double-crested cormorant P

SUBMITTER: van Oordt F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10991557 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature