Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Eve Rioux, Fanie Pelletier, Jesper Bruun Mosbacher, Frederic Lesmerises, Richard St-Louis, Susan Kutz, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
Summary: This study investigates how foraging ecology, diet composition, and nutritional status influence individual performance in an endangered caribou population. The results suggest that nutrition plays an important role in the recovery of this population, as it affects reproduction and survival rates.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ian Silver-Gorges, Simona A. Ceriani, Mariana M. P. B. Fuentes
Summary: This study demonstrates that loggerhead sea turtles partition their realized ecological niche by lifestages, potentially along both bionomic and scenopoetic axes. The analysis of stable isotopes from different tissues provides insights into intraspecific niche partitioning and has implications for conservation efforts for loggerhead turtles and other imperiled marine species.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emiliano Garcia-Rodriguez, Sharon Z. Herzka, Oscar Sosa-Nishizaki, Christopher G. Lowe, John B. O'Sullivan
Summary: Understanding the trophic ecology of top predators like white sharks is crucial for ecosystem management, especially in nursery areas like Bahia Sebastian Vizcaino. Stable isotope analyses revealed that young white sharks primarily feed on nearshore demersal prey, indicating a strong interaction with local fisheries and movement patterns consistent with previous reports. Immature white sharks have a smaller isotopic niche compared to sympatric sharks, with the highest overlap in isotopic niche space observed between white sharks and smooth hammerheads.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Marina E. Wosniack, Dylan Festa, Nan Hu, Julijana Gjorgjieva, Jimena Berni
Summary: This study investigates the foraging adaptation of Drosophila larvae to different food conditions and the influence of genetic background. The findings reveal the specific modulation of motor programs by food quality and distribution, as well as the role of the foraging gene in adjusting the behavioral response to food conditions.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicholas A. Delzoppo, Karleah Berris, Daniella Teixeira, Berndt van Rensburg
Summary: The Kangaroo Island glossy black-cockatoo is an endangered subspecies that heavily relies on the kernels of drooping sheoak for food, making it vulnerable to changes in the quantity and quality of this plant species. Research has shown that the time since the last fire significantly impacts the cone quality of sheoak trees, with longer intervals resulting in lower quality cones. This has important implications for the management of critical habitat for this endangered subspecies, especially considering the majority of unimpacted sheoak woodlands are of similar age and have not experienced fire for over 60 years.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Flavio Monti, Alois Robert, Jean-Marie Dominici, Andrea Sforzi, Rafel Triay Bagur, Antoni Munoz Navarro, Gael Guillou, Olivier Duriez, Ilham Bentaleb
Summary: By combining GPS tracking and SIA analysis, insights into the wintering ecology and habitat use of the Corsican osprey population were gained. The study revealed that 50% of ospreys were resident while the other half were migratory, showing high plasticity in habitat selection across the Mediterranean basin. The integration of SIA and GPS/GSM tracking techniques proved effective in providing comprehensive information for ecological studies of migratory birds in aquatic environments.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob W. Brownscombe, Oliver N. Shipley, Lucas P. Griffin, Danielle Morley, Alejandro Acosta, Aaron J. Adams, Ross Boucek, Andy J. Danylchuk, Steven J. Cooke, Michael Power
Summary: This study used a combination of fish tracking, stable isotope analysis, and integrated modeling techniques to investigate the spatial and trophic ecology of a marine fish species in the Florida Keys. The results showed that the fish moved frequently among different habitats and fisheries, and their reliance on seagrass and offshore/pelagic-based energy sources varied among individuals. The study also demonstrated the connectivity among habitats and fisheries through a telemetry-based regional isoscape.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Grace E. Tocker, Johannes H. Fischer, Paco Bustamante, Gael Guillou, Igor Debski, Graeme A. Taylor, Peter A. Ritchie, Heiko U. Wittmer
Summary: Investigations into niche dynamics and interspecific interactions are crucial to assess the vulnerability of threatened species to competition and environmental change. The Whenua Hou Diving Petrel is a critically endangered seabird specialized in breeding in sand dunes in New Zealand. It is at risk from competition for burrow sites and other threats, but little is known about its foraging niches at sea and associated threats.
Article
Ecology
Jonathan A. Botha, Clive N. Trueman, Stephen P. Kirkman, John P. Y. Arnould, Amanda T. Lombard, Maelle Connan, G. J. Greg Hofmeyr, S. Mduduzi Seakamela, Pierre A. Pistorius
Summary: This study investigated the trophic ecology of Cape fur seals breeding in South Africa by analyzing the carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of whiskers collected at four breeding sites. The results revealed geographic variability and individual specialization in resource and habitat use, emphasizing the importance of considering variability when assessing the foraging ecology of marine predators.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Philip J. Manlick, Seth D. Newsome
Summary: Animals consume resources through multiple energy channels, connecting food webs and driving trophic structure. Stable isotope 'fingerprints' can trace energy flow in wild systems. This study shows that ΔC-13 fingerprints accurately measure energy flow to vertebrate consumers and can estimate multichannel feeding at various temporal scales.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Melissa Pardi, Larisa R. G. DeSantis
Summary: This synthesis explores the isotopic ecology of North American mammalian herbivores since approximately 7 Ma, revealing that hypsodont taxa often have broader diets that include more browse consumption. The study demonstrates that even generalist taxa may have narrow localized dietary breadth, and that 'grazing-adapted' taxa exhibit dietary flexibility across space and time, potentially reducing competition among ancient herbivores.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Meng Wang, Yong-Gang Nie, Ronald R. Swaisgood, Wei Wei, Wen-Liang Zhou, Ze-Jun Zhang, Gui-Ming Wang, Fu-Wen Wei
Summary: A critical function of animal movement is to maximize access to essential resources. This study examines the seasonal migration patterns of giant pandas and identifies spatial memory as a key factor in locating reliable food resources. The findings highlight the pandas' ability to adapt to nutritionally poor dietary resources and provide important information for conservation strategies.
ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Qiuling Wu, Tianying Zheng, Stuart L. Simpson, Qiao-Guo Tan, Rong Chen, Minwei Xie
Summary: The study demonstrated a multi-metal stable-isotope-enriched bioassay for measuring the bioavailability of Cd, Cu, and Zn in sediments, with results showing its effectiveness in directly assessing metal bioavailability in sediments.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zezheng Li, Nigel E. Hussey, Yunkai Li
Summary: This study analyzed the concentration and distribution of trace elements and stable isotopes in pregnant female pelagic thresher sharks and their embryos. The results showed that essential trace elements were mostly transferred to the embryos, while nonessential trace elements were unevenly distributed between maternal and embryo tissues. Mercury concentrations reached toxic levels, but the molar ratios of selenium to mercury in embryonic tissues were all greater than one. A negative correlation was observed between concentrations of elements in maternal tissue and transfer ratios, indicating the existence of a regulatory mechanism in maternal ovaries. Compared to maternal specimens, embryos had higher isotopic values.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zheng Li, Jun Zhong, Li Si-Liang, Yun-Chao Lang, Xuetao Zhu, Shuai Chen
Summary: The study investigates the effects of hydrological changes on chemical weathering by analyzing water samples from the Jialing River. The research estimates the weathering rates of carbonate and silicate, as well as the CO2 consumption flux. The results highlight the significant role of pyrite oxidation in carbon cycling and emphasize the influence of hydrological variabilities on solute generation and transport.