Soil δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N baselines clarify biogeographic heterogeneity in isotopic discrimination of European badgers (Meles meles).

ABSTRACT: Isotopic techniques have been used to study phenomena in the geological, environmental, and ecological sciences. For example, isotopic values of multiple elements elucidate the pathways energy and nutrients take in the environment. Isoscapes interpolate isotopic values across a geographical surface and are used to study environmental processes in space and time. Thus, isoscapes can reveal ecological shifts at local scales, and show distribution thresholds in the wider environment at the macro-scale. This study demonstrates a further application of isoscapes, using soil isoscapes of ¹³C/¹²C and ¹⁵N/¹⁴N as an environmental baseline, to understand variation in trophic ecology across a population of Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) at a regional scale.

SUBMITTER: Mullineaux ST 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8741785 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature