Predation threat affects isotope ratios of planktonic consumers.

ABSTRACT: The analysis of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen is widely used in ecological investigations. However, sources of variation in isotope ratios of animals are far from being identified, which may bias the interpretation of the results. It has been suggested that stress is a factor that affects isotope ratios and trophic enrichment in animal bodies. Here, we tested the hypothesis that stress due to exposure to a predation threat affects metabolic processes that ultimately result in altered isotope composition of threatened prey. We found that both the nitrogen isotope composition (δ¹⁵N) and trophic enrichment in ¹⁵N isotope (Δ¹⁵N) were affected by threat induced by planktivorous fish in two species of the keystone freshwater pelagic herbivore Daphnia: D.

SUBMITTER: Brzezinski T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12686068 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature