Article
Plant Sciences
Angeleen M. Olson, Carolyn Prentice, Zachary L. Monteith, Derek VanMaanen, Francis Juanes, Margot Hessing-Lewis
Summary: In seagrass food webs, the contribution of allochthonous kelp to the diets of mesograzers is important. The biomass of epiphytic macroalgae may be influenced by bottom-up factors or the availability and preference of allochthonous substances.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ana Beatriz Navarro, Marcelo Magioli, Juliano Andre Bogoni, Marcelo Zacharias Moreira, Luis Fabio Silveira, Eduardo Roberto Alexandrino, Daniela Tomasio Apolinario da Luz, Marco Aurelio Pizo, Wesley Rodrigues Silva, Vanessa Cristina de Oliveira, Reginaldo Jose Donatelli, Alexander Christianini, Augusto Joao Piratelli, Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi Barros Ferraz
Summary: Research found that in human-modified landscapes, the ecological niches of frugivores, insectivores, nectarivores, and omnivores were narrower, while granivores had wider niches. Birds in human-modified landscapes consumed more resources from agricultural areas, but most guilds showed a preference for forest resources in both landscape types, except granivores.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
T. A. Johnston, J. M. Casselman, W. C. Leggett
Summary: The study found that there are some differences in isotopic compositions between male and female fishes, but for most species, muscle isotopes do not vary greatly between the sexes. Ova show more significant differences compared to female muscle, with the most pronounced sex-based divergence seen in lean-fleshed piscivores among North American fish species.
Article
Biology
Katharina J. Peters, Sarah J. Bury, Bethany Hinton, Emma L. Betty, Deborah Casano-Bally, Guido J. Parra, Karen A. Stockin
Summary: This study used stable isotopes as ecological tracers to investigate the overlap of isotopic niches between 21 odontocete species in different water layers. The results revealed clear niche separation in the deep-sea Gray's beaked whales and sperm whales, but high overlap and potential competition among neritic and mesopelagic species. This study provides valuable insights into the coexistence of odontocetes in a biodiverse hotspot and establishes a crucial baseline for a system already undergoing ecosystem changes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
T. A. Johnston, A. D. Ehrman, J. J. Montgomery, H. K. Swanson
Summary: Variation among individuals in stable isotope composition is increasingly utilized as an ecological index of trophic niche size, assuming that most of the observed variation comes from differences in diet. The study found that non-dietary variation in delta C-13 and delta N-15 is usually a small component of the total delta C-13 and delta N-15 variation seen in wild lake trout populations, indicating that current isotopic niche metrics primarily capture dietary variation.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Jessica A. Lueders-Dumont, Atleigh G. Forden, Emma R. Kast, John A. Mohan, Benjamin D. Walther, Daniel M. Sigman, Bess B. Ward
Summary: The use of nitrogen isotopes can effectively track the life history of organisms following dietary changes. Otoliths and tissues show different response times to new diets, with slower growth tissues exhibiting larger variations. Further optimization of sampling methods may improve resolution for tracking diet changes.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Leticia Morgana Mueller, Renato Kipnis, Mariane Pereira Ferreira, Sara Marzo, Bianca Fiedler, Mary Lucas, Jana Ilgner, Hilton P. Silva, Patrick Roberts
Summary: This study analyzes stable isotopes in human and animal remains from the Volta Grande do Rio Xingu region to investigate the diets of pre-Columbian populations in the Amazon Basin. The results indicate that people in different areas and time periods primarily consumed C-3 plants, wild terrestrial fauna, and aquatic resources, with varying levels of integration of C-4 plants. The study also highlights regional adaptations to local watercourses and forest types in the Amazon Basin, based on a comparison with other datasets.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
P. Gatts, M. A. L. Franco, M. G. Almeida, C. E. de Rezende, P. A. S. Costa
Summary: The study assessed the stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in three demersal guilds on the southeastern Brazilian coast to understand their trophic relationships. It was found that the organic matter pool supporting the demersal food web is a mixture of marine and terrigenous sources, with the Paraiba do Sul River having a significant influence regardless of seasonality. The research also highlighted the importance of terrestrial organic matter sources from the river to shallow coastal demersal food webs in the region.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Ryan B. B. Stephens, Oliver N. N. Shipley, Remington J. J. Moll
Summary: Accurate trophic discrimination factors (TDF) are necessary for robustly quantifying dietary resource use and trophic position using stable isotopes. Previous studies suggested TDF values of around 1.0 for & UDelta;C-13 and 3.4 for & UDelta;N-15, but recent research indicates that these values may be more nuanced. The relative importance of different factors, such as taxa, tissues, trophic level, and diets, is still unclear.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Amandine J. M. Sabadel, Colin D. MacLeod
Summary: Stable isotopes have been used to characterize host-parasite trophic relationships, revealing parasites being N-15 enriched compared to hosts, with their δN-15 values strongly related to feeding behaviors. Broader sample inclusion helped to understand metabolic mechanisms, while carbon stable isotope values and C:N ratios identified lipid requirement of trematode parasites. Parasitic infections should not be ignored as they influence host trophic position significantly, and focusing on specific host and parasite groups reduces variation seen in broader isotope studies.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. C. Neves, M. Vannuci-Silva, G. Montanini, A. F. Azevedo, J. Lailson-Brito, T. L. Bisi
Summary: Species in sympatry can coexist by niche partitioning, as observed in the Ilha Grande Bay where four cetacean species frequently occur. Niche overlap was high for species with site fidelity, while the rough-toothed dolphin showed high segregation. The bay is a biodiversity hotspot, providing diverse resources for the studied cetacean community.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Corinthia R. Black, Jonathan W. Armbruster
Summary: The study introduces a baseline-standardized isotopic vector analysis (BaSIVA) to visualize dietary variation while considering isotopic discrepancies between locations. Results show that BaSIVA is better at delineating trophic groups than traditional methods, taking into account the variation in basal resources.
Article
Biology
Thomas Larsen, Ricardo Fernandes, Yiming Wang, Patrick Roberts
Summary: Stable isotope analysis is widely used in archaeology and paleoanthropology to reconstruct diets, ecologies, and environments of past human populations. Researchers are now focusing on stable isotope ratios of individual amino acids to gain more detailed insights into trophic levels and resource use. This article provides a guide on using amino acid stable isotope ratios to determine dietary behaviors and ecologies of hominins. It highlights uncertainties in interpretation and methodological developments required for good practice, aiming to make this approach accessible to researchers from various backgrounds.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Yiye Jiang, Yanhong Zeng, Ruifeng Lu, Yanting Zhang, Ling Long, Xiaobo Zheng, Xiaojun Luo, Bixian Mai
Summary: Accurately quantifying trophic positions (TP) is crucial for studying pollutant bioaccumulation, and compound-specific nitrogen isotopic analysis of amino acids (AAs-N-CSIA) provides a reliable tool for this purpose. In this review, we summarize the analytical techniques of AAs-N-CSIA, discuss its applications in pollutant bioaccumulation studies, and highlight its limitations. The N-pivaloyl-i-propyl-amino acid ester method is recommended for quantifying TP. Although challenges remain in accurate TP quantification for omnivores, the application of AAs-N-CSIA in conjunction with other techniques has enhanced the understanding of pollutant food web transfer.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Letizia Campioni, Giacomo Dell'Omo, Salvatrice Vizzini, Federico De Pascalis, Fabio Badalamenti, Bruno Massa, Diego Rubolini, Jacopo G. Cecere
Summary: This study investigates the spatial and temporal variations in trophic resources use by Scopoli's shearwater, a trans-equatorial migrant seabird, during breeding and non-breeding periods. The results show spatial segregation during breeding and shared non-breeding areas among different populations, indicating a plasticity in trophic resource use. The study highlights the importance of considering seasonal and region-specific factors in understanding the foraging ecology of marine predators.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
G. L. Kolomeitseva, T. Nikishina, A. Babosha, A. S. Ryabchenko, O. N. Vysotskaya
Summary: The immature seeds of Dendrobium nobile develop resistance to freezing and long-term storage in a cryobank at the age of 6 months after pollination. The study found that there are differences in germination capacity, embryo viability, and staining characteristics at different stages of seed development. Immature seeds at 6 months old have a high germination rate in low-temperature conditions.
ACTA PHYSIOLOGIAE PLANTARUM
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andrey G. Zuev, Marina G. Krivosheina, Vladislav D. Leonov, Maarja oepik, Martti Vasar, Anna K. Saraeva, Alexei V. Tiunov, Anton A. Goncharov
Summary: This study found that mycorrhizal fungi serve as a potentially abundant carbon resource for soil animals, but their role in soil food webs is still not well understood.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Tatyana N. Karmanova, Natalia Y. Feoktistova, Alexei V. Tiunov
Summary: Eurasian red squirrels have high delta C-13 values due to their consumption of C-13-enriched conifer seeds. The isotopic composition of mammals and birds that consume conifer seeds is distinct from other species, suggesting that this resource can be tracked through the forest food web.
ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Galina L. L. Kolomeitseva, Andrey S. S. Ryabchenko, Alexander V. V. Babosha
Summary: Embryological features, specifically the shape of the suspensor, were used to differentiate closely related taxa in the subtribe Malaxidinae. The branched suspensor in Liparis elegans and L. parviflora sets them apart from L. viridiflora and L. dendrochiloides, which have an inflated suspensor without a neck. This differentiation supports the separation of the genus Blepharoglossum from the genus Liparis.
Article
Geography, Physical
Thomas G. Sim, Graeme T. Swindles, Paul J. Morris, Andy J. Baird, Angela V. Gallego-Sala, Yuwan Wang, Maarten Blaauw, Philip Camill, Michelle Garneau, Mark Hardiman, Julie Loisel, Minna Valiranta, Lysanna Anderson, Karina Apolinarska, Femke Augustijns, Liene Aunina, Joannie Beaulne, Premysl Bobek, Werner Borken, Nils Broothaerts, Qiao-Yu Cui, Marissa A. Davies, Ana Ejarque, Michelle Farrell, Ingo Feeser, Angelica Feurdean, Richard E. Fewster, Sarah A. Finkelstein, Marie-Jose Gaillard, Mariusz Gaika, Liam Heffernan, Renske Hoevers, Miriam Jones, Teemu Juselius-Rajamaki, Edgar Karofeld, Klaus-Holger Knorr, Atte Korhola, Dmitri Kupriyanov, Malin E. Kylander, Terri Lacourse, Mariusz Lamentowicz, Martin Lavoie, Geoffrey Lemdahl, Dominika Lucow, Gabriel Magnan, Alekss Maksims, Claudia A. Mansilla, Katarzyna Marcisz, Elena Marinova, Paul J. H. Mathijssen, Dmitri Mauquoy, Yuri A. Mazei, Natalia Mazei, Julia McCarroll, Robert D. McCulloch, Alice M. Milner, Yannick Miras, Fraser J. G. Mitchell, Elena Novenko, Nicolas Pelletier, Matthew C. Peros, Sanna R. Piilo, Louis-Martin Pilote, Guillaume Primeau, Damien Rius, Vincent Robin, Mylene Robitaille, Thomas P. Roland, Eleonor Ryberg, A. Britta K. Sannel, Karsten Schittek, Gabriel Servera-Vives, William Shotyk, Michal Slowinski, Normunds Stivrins, Ward Swinnen, Gareth Thompson, Alexei Tiunov, Andrey N. Tsyganov, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Gert Verstraeten, Tuomo Wallenius, Julia Webb, Debra Willard, Zicheng Yu, Claudio Zaccone, Hui Zhang
Summary: Northern peatlands store globally-important amounts of carbon, but drying and land-use change may increase fire frequency and carbon loss. Our study reveals regional variation in peatland burning during the Holocene, with long-term trends driven mostly by climate and human activities. Peatland burning has declined in some areas since the Little Ice Age, possibly due to fire-suppression policies and landscape fragmentation. However, widespread drying and degradation of peatlands have increased their vulnerability to burning in recent centuries.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Anton A. Goncharov, Vladislav D. Leonov, Oksana L. Rozanova, Eugenia E. Semenina, Sergey M. Tsurikov, Alexei V. Uvarov, Andrey G. Zuev, AlexeiV. Tiunov
Summary: Soil animals play a crucial role in ecosystem functions and can mitigate the effects of global change on terrestrial ecosystems. A study was conducted to analyze the responses of six major groups of soil animals to controlled changes in temperature, precipitation, and carbon dioxide concentration. The results revealed quantitative links between global change factors, local climate characteristics, and changes in abundance of soil animal groups.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Evgeny Abakumov, Alen Eskov
Summary: Most of the biosphere organic matter is stored in terrestrial organo-mineral soils, while in tropical humid-forest ecosystems, organic matter accumulates in the form of suspended soils. This study characterizes the composition and structure of the organic matter of plant residues in suspended soils and explores the formation of humic substances. The results show that classical humification occurs even in suspended soils.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maxim V. Bobrovsky, Dmitry A. Kupriyanov, Alexei L. Smirnov, Larisa G. Khanina, Maria V. Dobrovolskaya, Alexei V. Tiunov
Summary: Charcoal from various natural soil archives, including archaeological sites, forest and arable soils, and sediment, was studied. Radiocarbon dating was performed on 41 samples, and a total of 2277 charcoals were analyzed. The results indicated the presence of 13 woody species, with Pinus and Picea dominating. Charcoals older than 300 BC were only found in sediment and pits. The highest diversity of woody species was observed in cultural layers formed during the Early Iron Age. The burning for arable farming began in the 6th century AD. Woody taxa showed a decrease in species and proportion from the Early Iron Age to the present.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ilya I. Lyubechanskii, Alexei N. Bespalov, Alexei V. Tiunov, Galina N. Azarkina, Roman Yu. Dudko, Lyudmila V. Salisch, Vyacheslav G. Mordkovich
Summary: In this study, stable isotope analysis was used to evaluate the trophic niches of ground beetles and spiders, as well as their potential prey, in terrestrial ecosystems. The results indicate that spiders are more closely associated with detrital food webs compared to ground beetles.
Article
Ecology
A. G. Zuev, M. B. Potapov, A. V. Tiunov, A. K. Saraeva
Summary: Ectomycorrhizal fungi are a significant part of boreal forests' soil biota, but their role as a food source for Collembola remains controversial. Through a trenching experiment and stable isotope analysis, we found that trenching reduced the biomass of ectomycorrhizal mycelium by half. In the young forest, the abundance of two Collembola species decreased significantly after trenching, while in the old forest, no significant changes were observed. Trenching also led to a shift in trophic niches among the dominant Collembola species in both forests, indicating species-specific trophic links to mycorrhizal fungi.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andrey S. Ryabchenko, Galina L. Kolomeitseva, Alexander V. Babosha, Vladimir A. Koval
Summary: In this study, Megasporogenesis, megagametogenesis and embryogenesis of Liparis elliptica were investigated. It was found that the embryo sac of L. elliptica is monosporic and develops from the chalazal cell of the megaspore triad. L. elliptica has a unique feature of unitegmal ovule, and the seed coat is formed by an outer layer of the single internal integument, which is a rare characteristic among epiphytic orchid species with photosynthetic leaves.
Article
Ecology
A. G. Zuev, A. A. Kudrin, V. D. Leonov, A. K. Saraeva, S. M. Tsurikov, A. V. Tiunov
Summary: For the first time, the fruiting bodies of ascomycete fungi in temperate forests were studied as a temporary food resource for soil and terrestrial invertebrates. It was found that the apothecia of Sarcoscypha austriaca only housed nematodes, while the hollow ascocarps of Gyromitra esculenta had a considerably higher diversity of invertebrates (at least 31 families). Stable isotope analysis confirmed that G. esculenta acts as a humus saprotroph and suggested that the invertebrates primarily use the mature fruiting bodies as a hiding place, rather than a food substrate.
RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Zoology
Ivan N. Marin, Alexei V. Tiunov
Summary: Terrestrial crustaceans consist of approximately 4,900 species from six main lineages, showing a diverse range of taxa and adaptations to different habitats. They display a wide array of morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations that enable them to thrive in diverse geographic areas, including arid environments. Terrestrial crustaceans, particularly macrocrustaceans, play important roles in ecosystems as litter transformers, soil bioturbators, and top predators in some cases. Despite their ecological impact, terrestrial crustaceans are often overlooked by terrestrial ecologists, with woodlice being the only group widely utilized as food by humans.
Review
Environmental Studies
Xin Sun, Craig Liddicoat, Alexei Tiunov, Bin Wang, Yiyue Zhang, Changyi Lu, Zhipeng Li, Stefan Scheu, Martin F. Breed, Stefan Geisen, Yong-Guan Zhu
Summary: Biodiversity in urban soil is connected to human health, and reductions in soil biodiversity increase risks to human health. However, soil biodiversity can improve human health through various pathways including pathogen suppression, soil remediation, shaping a beneficial human microbiome, and promoting immune fitness. We argue that targeted enhancement of urban soil biodiversity can support human health in both outdoor and indoor settings. The potential of enhanced urban soil biodiversity to benefit human health is an important yet understudied field of fundamental and applied research.
NPJ URBAN SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Alen K. Eskov, Tatiana G. Elumeeva, Vlad. D. Leonov, Sergey M. Tsurikov, Violetta A. Viktorova, Nikolay G. Prilepsky, Evgeny V. Abakumov
Summary: The carbon isotopic composition of plant tissues is a diagnostic feature of physiological and ecological processes, particularly the type of photosynthesis. However, the diagnostic value of δ13C may extend beyond photosynthesis type, necessitating the study of its distribution trends in a broader ecological context.