Stable Carbon Isotopes and Carbon Flow in Ecosystems

Rounick, J. S.; Winterbourn, Michael J.

doi:10.2307/1310304

Cited by 261 publications

(177 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…This range was similar to that observed for C 3 plants that make up the base of the food web in inland environments (Smith and Epstein 1971;Rounick and Winterbourn 1986). Other studies have documented similar ranges in δ 13 C for wetland biota from inland environments of South Carolina and Georgia.…”

Section: Inland Isotopic Signaturessupporting

confidence: 84%

Foraging ecology of the endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotope signature of feathers

et al. 2000

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Down feathers and regurgitant were collected from nestling wood storks (Mycteria americana) from two inland and two coastal breeding colonies in Georgia. The stable isotopic ratios of carbon ( 13 C/ 12 C) and nitrogen ( 15 N/ 14 N) in these materials were analyzed to gain insights into the natal origins of juvenile storks and the foraging activities of adults. Down feathers differed in δ 13 C between inland and coastal colonies, having average isotopic values that reflected the sources of carbon fixed in biomass at the base of the food web. Feathers from the inland colonies differed between colonies in δ 15 N, while those from the coastal colonies did not. These patterns primarily reflected the foraging activities of parent storks, with individuals capturing differing percentages of prey of distinct trophic status at each colony. Collectively, the carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures of feather keratin were used to distinguish nestlings from each colony, except for instances where storks from different colonies foraged in common wetlands. The stable isotopic composition of food items in regurgitant was used to reconstruct the trophic structure of the ecosystems in which wood storks foraged. Predicted foraging activities based on the isotopic composition of keratin were generally consistent with the percentage of prey types (freshwater vs. saltwater and lower trophic level vs. upper trophic level consumer) observed in regurgitant, except for the coastal colony at St. Simons Island, where the δ 13 C of feathers strongly suggested that freshwater prey were a significant component of the diet. This inconsistency was resolved by aerial tracking of adults during foraging excursions using a fixed-wing aircraft. Observed foraging activities supported interpretations based on the stable isotope content of feathers, suggesting that the latter provided a better record of overall foraging activity than regurgitant analysis alone. Observed foraging patterns were compared to the predictions of a statistical model that determined habitat utilization based on habitat availability using a geographic information system (GIS) database. Observed foraging activities and those predicted from feathers both suggested that some adult storks preferred to feed their young freshwater prey, even when saltwater resources were more accessible in the local environment. This conclusion supports the contention that wood stork populations are sensitive to changes in the distribution of freshwater habitats along the southeastern coastal plain of the United States.

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Section: Inland Isotopic Signaturessupporting

confidence: 84%

Foraging ecology of the endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotope signature of feathers

et al. 2000

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“…Deciduous tree leaves were also relatively depleted in d 13 C, and increased use of this food source could have reduced d 13 C levels in consumers following the fire. However, this explanation would contradict the findings of other studies which report reduced use of allochthonous food sources following canopy removal (Hansmann and Phinney, 1973;Rounick and Winterbourn, 1986).…”

Section: Long-term Biotic Impacts Via Stable Isotope Analysiscontrasting

confidence: 66%

“…For example, several studies report a similar reduction in d 13 C in a variety of consumer organisms following experimental logging and burning of small catchments in New Zealand and attribute the isotopic shift to increased use of autochthonous energy sources following canopy removal (Rounick et al, 1982;Rounick and Hicks, 1985;Rounick and Winterbourn, 1986). Similarly, Winterbourn et al (1986) reported that macroinvertebrates from open-canopied stream sites in UK were more depleted in 13 C than consumers from closed-canopied forested sites.…”

Section: Long-term Biotic Impacts Via Stable Isotope Analysismentioning

confidence: 92%

Wildfire effects on stream food webs and nutrient dynamics in Glacier National Park, USA

Spencer

Gabel²,

Hauer³

2003

Forest Ecology and Management

164

136

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We documented immediate and mid-term (5 years) impacts on streams from a large (15,500 ha) wildfire in northwestern Montana. Fire-related impacts were ecosystem-wide, extending from water chemistry to fish. During the initial firestorm, phosphorus and nitrogen levels increased 5-to 60-fold above background levels resulting from aerial deposition from smoke and ash. Nutrients returned to background concentrations within several weeks after the fire. During subsequent years, nutrient concentrations periodically increased in fire-impacted sites compared to reference sites, especially during spring run-off.Evidence of post-fire changes was also documented in the aquatic food web via stable isotope analyses. Macroinvertebrates and fish from fire-impacted sites were significantly more enriched in 15 N and depleted in 13 C than consumers from forested reference sites (P < 0:001). The post-fire isotopic shift in consumers was consistent with increased utilization of algae and/or other autochthonous food sources together with decreased reliance on terrestrial leaf litter and other allochthonous food sources. Such a post-fire shift from a detritus based on a periphyton-based food web fits predictions of the river continuum concept following canopy removal and nutrient enrichment.Following decades of active fire suppression, forest managers are now contemplating aggressive efforts to reduce the fuel build-up noted in forests throughout the western US. Such efforts could involve increased use of fire and mechanical thinning and harvest. Results from our work and others suggest that expanded fire activity could mobilize substantial quantities of highly available nutrients to lakes and streams. With significant nutrient delivery mechanisms involving water, as well as airborne transport via smoke and ash, the potential for increased nutrient loadings to surface waters could extend well beyond the catchment of any particular fire. As natural resource managers contemplate expanding the use of fire as a forest restoration tool, they face the dilemma that such efforts could run counter to a decades-long effort to reduce nutrient loadings to lakes and other surface waters threatened by eutrophication. #

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“…Desde esta perspectiva, se han utilizado los isótopos estables con éxito en la descripción de un amplio abanico de tipos de ecosistemas acuáticos, tales como estuarios (Peterson et al, 1985;Cifuentes et al, 1988;Mulholland & Olsen, 1992;Caraco et al, 1998;Melville & Connolly, 2003), ríos (Rounick & Winterbourn, 1986;Rosenfeld & Roff, 1992;Junger & Planas, 1994;Hershey et al, 1997;Fisher et al, 2001), lagos (Keough et al, 1996;Bernasconi et al, 1997;Yoshii et al, 1999;, France, 1999;Grey et al, 2000;Herwig et al, 2004), marismas (Haines, 1976;Carman & Fry, 2002), mares y oceános (Minagawa & Wada 1984;VanDover et al, 1992;Hansson et al,1997).…”

Section: Características Generales De Los Sistemas Acuáticos Reveladaunclassified

“…Los isótopos de carbono han sido empleados para evaluar la contribución de las entradas de materia orgánica terrestre a los sistemas acuáticos continentales (Rounick & Winterbourn, 1986;Rosenfeld & Roff, 1992) y marinos (Fry & Sherr, 1984). La utilización de δ 13 C, facilita la posibilidad de detectar el origen de los recursos basales, y si además se combina con la medición de δ 15 N, se puede obtener un valor integrado de la dieta de los consumidores en el tiempo y facilitar la obtención de datos para estimar la producción secundaria de los ríos.…”

Section: Aplicacionesunclassified

Técnicas Y Aplicaciones Multidisciplinares De Los Isótopos Ambientales

Pagés¹,

Ortega²,

Fernández³

2008

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Todos los derechos reservados. De conformidad con lo dispuesto en la legislación vigente, podrán ser castigados con penas de multa y privación de libertad quienes reproduzcan o plagien, en todo o en parte, una obra literaria, artística o científica fijada en cualquier tipo de soporte, sin la preceptiva autorización. © Ediciones PREFACIOEste libro es fruto de la recopilación de los trabajos presentados en las Jornadas sobre "Nuevas técnicas metodológicas aplicadas al estudio de los sistemas ambientales: los isótopos estables" celebradas en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid a finales de noviembre de 2005 y en las cuales participaron más de ciento cincuenta investigadores y estudiantes.La obra reúne diecinueve capítulos, cada uno de los cuales presenta un resumen de las principales aplicaciones de los isótopos estables en un área determinada y, en la mayoría de los casos, los resultados obtenidos por los propios autores en su ámbito de especialización.El objetivo principal de esta publicación es contribuir al conocimiento de los isótopos estables como herramienta de estudio moderna y resolutiva, cuya utilización se encuentra en creciente desarrollo en nuestro país. La versatilidad de estos métodos se refleja en el amplio abanico de aplicaciones desarrolladas y la diversidad de áreas de conocimiento de las que proceden los autores. En este sentido cabe destacar que las aplicaciones isotópicas incluidas en este volumen constituyen solamente una muestra, si bien pretende ser representativa, de las múltiples posibilidades que en la actualidad ofrecen estas técnicas. Es por ello que, atendiendo a las limitaciones de espacio y a un cierto enfoque temático ambiental, se ha debido renunciar a la incorporación de algunos temas en los que el empleo de los isótopos es importante o posee un gran potencial, como por ejemplo en los estudios metabólicos en animales y humanos o en el campo de los análisis clínicos.Los editores desean expresar su profundo agradecimiento a todos los autores que han participado en este proyecto. También queremos destacar el apoyo recibido por parte de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid y especialmente desde su Servicio de Publicaciones, cuya magnífica labor editorial ha hecho posible la publicación de este libro. AbstractSince the 1970 decade, stable isotope techniques have been widely employed to trace global processes in ecosystems. Concerning freshwater ecosystems, these techniques are currently applied to the study of the structure and functioning of several kinds of continental aquatic systems such as lagoons, lakes, ponds, streams and rivers, and even ecotonal ecosystems as estuaries. The present chapter is focused on a review of how stable isotopes, mainly δ 13 C, δ 15

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Stable Carbon Isotopes and Carbon Flow in Ecosystems

Cited by 261 publications

References 33 publications

Foraging ecology of the endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotope signature of feathers

Foraging ecology of the endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotope signature of feathers

Wildfire effects on stream food webs and nutrient dynamics in Glacier National Park, USA

Técnicas Y Aplicaciones Multidisciplinares De Los Isótopos Ambientales

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