How strongly does diet variation explain variation in isotope values of animal consumers?

ABSTRACT: Analysis of stable isotopes in consumers is used commonly to study their ecological and/or environmental niche. There is, however, considerable debate regarding how isotopic values relate to diet and how other sources of variation confound this link, which can undermine the utility. From the analysis of a simple, but general, model of isotopic incorporation in consumer organisms, we examine the relationship between isotopic variance among individuals, and diet variability within a consumer population. We show that variance in consumer isotope values is directly proportional to variation in diet (through Simpson indices), to the number of isotopically distinct food sources in the diet, and to the baseline variation within and among the isotope values of the food sources. Additionally, when

SUBMITTER: Arnoldi JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11210776 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature