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Maccapan D, Careddu G, Calizza E, Sporta Caputi S, Rossi L, Costantini ML. Effects of Sea-Ice Persistence on the Diet of Adélie Penguin ( Pygoscelis adeliae) Chicks and the Trophic Differences between Chicks and Adults in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12050708. [PMID: 37237522 DOI: 10.3390/biology12050708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In Antarctica, prey availability for the mesopredator Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae, depends on sea-ice dynamics. By affecting cycles of sea-ice formation and melt, climate change could thus affect penguin diet and recruitment. In the light of climate change, this raises concerns about the fate of this dominant endemic species, which plays a key role in the Antarctic food web. However, few quantitative studies measuring the effects of sea-ice persistence on the diet of penguin chicks have yet been conducted. The purpose of this study was to fill this gap by comparing penguin diets across four penguin colonies in the Ross Sea and evaluating latitudinal and interannual variation linked to different sea-ice persistence. Diet was evaluated by analysing the δ13C and δ15N values of penguin guano, and sea-ice persistence by means of satellite images. Isotopic values indicate that penguins consumed more krill in colonies with longer sea-ice persistence. In these colonies, the δ13C values of chicks were lower and closer to the pelagic chain than those of adults, suggesting that the latter apparently catch prey inshore for self-feeding and offshore for their chicks. The results indicate that sea-ice persistence is among the principal factors that influence the spatiotemporal variability of the penguins' diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Maccapan
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Sardi 70, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulio Careddu
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Sardi 70, 00185 Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Calizza
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Sardi 70, 00185 Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Sporta Caputi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Sardi 70, 00185 Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Loreto Rossi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Sardi 70, 00185 Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Costantini
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Sardi 70, 00185 Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
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Leaving more than footprints: Anthropogenic nutrient subsidies to a protected area. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
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Housecroft CE. What Goes in Must Come out: The Story of Uric Acid. Chimia (Aarau) 2021; 75:891-893. [PMID: 34728021 DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2021.891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds and reptiles convert waste ammonia into uric acid, while mammals excrete urea, with only small amounts of uric acid ending up in urine. This column explores the varying roles of uric acid and important calcium and sodium salts, and introduces π-stacking interactions in solid-state structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Housecroft
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, BPR 1096, Mattenstrasse 24a, CH-4058 Basel;,
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Jafari V, Maccapan D, Careddu G, Sporta Caputi S, Calizza E, Rossi L, Costantini ML. Spatial and temporal diet variability of Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri) Penguin: a multi tissue stable isotope analysis. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02925-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe Ross Sea, Antarctica, supports large populations of Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) and Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), two key meso-predators that occupy high trophic levels. Despite these species are largely studied, little is known about their diet outside the breeding period. In the present study, we investigated the intra-annual diet of Adélie and Emperor Penguins belonging to five colonies in the Ross Sea through the stable isotope analysis of different tissues (feathers and shell membranes), synthetized in different seasons, and guano that indicates recent diet. Penguin samples and prey (krill and fish) were collected during the Antarctic spring–summer. δ13C and δ15N of tissues and guano indicate spatio-temporal variation in the penguin diet. The krill consumption by Adélie Penguins was lowest in winter except in the northernmost colony, where it was always very high. It peaked in spring and remained prevalent in summer. The greatest krill contribution to Emperor Penguin’s diet occurred in summer. The relative krill and fish consumption by both species changed in relation to the prey availability, which is influenced by seasonal sea ice dynamics, and according to the penguin life cycle phases. The results highlight a strong trophic plasticity in the Adélie Penguin, whose dietary variability has been already recognized, and in the Emperor Penguin, which had not previously reported. Our findings can help understand how these species might react to resource variation due to climate change or anthropogenic overexploitation. Furthermore, data provides useful basis for future comparisons in the Ross Sea MPA and for planning conservation actions.
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De La Peña-Lastra S. Seabird droppings: Effects on a global and local level. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 754:142148. [PMID: 33254937 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Seabirds, with approximately 1 billion specimens, are the main exchangers of nutrients between Terrestial and Marine Systems and they have become an emerging interest group because of their effects on the planet's ecosystem. This review paper aims to highlight the impact of seabird droppings at different trophic levels, their occurrence, ecological risks and effects on soil, water, atmosphere and biota at global and local level to try to understand the ecological and climatic changes associated with the activities of these birds. Seabirds they have a very marked influence on the ecosystems where they form their colonies since, in addition to their function as predators, alongside with their depositions, they condition the primary producers and, consequently, the rest of the food chain. Their excrements contain large amounts of N, P and trace elements, most of which are bioavailable. In this study, besides bringing together the different works on nutrients and trace elements in excrements and differentiating some terms referring to these excrements, a brief historical overview of their importance for agriculture is made. In addition, the impacts produced by these birds on the ecosystem are also analysed according to two levels, at a global and local level. At each of these levels, a current state of the effects on the different compartments of the ecosystems is made, from the biota to the soils, the water or the atmosphere. This review supports the idea that more studies are needed both at the atmospheric level and in the terrestrial or marine environment for a better understanding of the changes these birds generate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saúl De La Peña-Lastra
- CRETUS Institute, Departamento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Galicia. Spain.
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Ruhl PJ, Flaherty EA, Dunning JB. Using stable isotopes of plasma, red blood cells, feces, and feathers to assess mature-forest bird diet during the post-fledging period. CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Post-fledging use of early successional habitat by mature-forest birds is well-documented, but the important trophic factors driving this association remain poorly understood. We used stable isotope analysis of plasma, red blood cells, feces, and feathers to determine foraging preferences of three mature-forest bird species captured in 8-year-old clearcuts during the post-fledging period. We did not identify a significant source contribution in any consumer tissue combination using MixSIAR posterior distributions, but the position of consumer tissues in bivariate isotope mixing space suggested that all three mature-forest bird species acted as generalist insectivores during the post-fledging period. Furthermore, estimates of the proportional contribution of fruit to the overall diet were <0.13 for all Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea (J.F. Gmelin, 1789)) tissue types, despite observational evidence of frugivory. We observed significant differentiation in core-niche-space estimates between the two obligate insectivores (Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum (J.F. Gmelin, 1789)) and Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla (Linnaeus, 1766))), suggesting that clearcuts provided adequate habitat to support the different foraging strategies and invertebrate preferences of both species. By using tissues with short turnover rates to address post-fledging trophic associations of mature-forest birds, we provide a comparison of isotopic values of multiple consumer tissue types in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J. Ruhl
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Flaherty
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - John B. Dunning
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Rosumek FB, Blüthgen N, Brückner A, Menzel F, Gebauer G, Heethoff M. Unveiling community patterns and trophic niches of tropical and temperate ants using an integrative framework of field data, stable isotopes and fatty acids. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5467. [PMID: 30155364 PMCID: PMC6109374 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The use and partitioning of trophic resources is a central aspect of community function. On the ground of tropical forests, dozens of ant species may be found together and ecological mechanisms should act to allow such coexistence. One hypothesis states that niche specialization is higher in the tropics, compared to temperate regions. However, trophic niches of most species are virtually unknown. Several techniques might be combined to study trophic niche, such as field observations, fatty acid analysis (FAA) and stable isotope analysis (SIA). In this work, we combine these three techniques to unveil partitioning of trophic resources in a tropical and a temperate community. We describe patterns of resource use, compare them between communities, and test correlation and complementarity of methods to unveil both community patterns and species' niches. Methods Resource use was assessed with seven kinds of bait representing natural resources available to ants. Neutral lipid fatty acid (NLFA) profiles, and δ15N and δ13C isotope signatures of the species were also obtained. Community patterns and comparisons were analyzed with clustering, correlations, multivariate analyses and interaction networks. Results Resource use structure was similar in both communities. Niche breadths (H') and network metrics (Q and H2') indicated similar levels of generalization between communities. A few species presented more specialized niches, such as Wasmannia auropunctata and Lasius fuliginosus. Stable isotope signatures and NLFA profiles also indicated high generalization, although the latter differed between communities, with temperate species having higher amounts of fat and proportions of C18:1n9. Bait use and NLFA profile similarities were correlated, as well as species' specialization indices (d') for the two methods. Similarities in δ15N and bait use, and in δ13C and NLFA profiles, were also correlated. Discussion Our results agree with the recent view that specialization levels do not change with latitude or species richness. Partition of trophic resources alone does not explain species coexistence in these communities, and might act together with behavioral and environmental mechanisms. Temperate species presented NLFA patterns distinct from tropical ones, which may be related to environmental factors. All methods corresponded in their characterization of species' niches to some extent, and were robust enough to detect differences even in highly generalized communities. However, their combination provides a more comprehensive picture of resource use, and it is particularly important to understand individual niches of species. FAA was applied here for the first time in ant ecology, and proved to be a valuable tool due to its combination of specificity and temporal representativeness. We propose that a framework combining field observations with chemical analysis is valuable to understand resource use in ant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix B Rosumek
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.,Department of Ecology and Zoology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Adrian Brückner
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.,Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes-Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Michael Heethoff
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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Welsh PO, Paszkowski CA, Tierney KB. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and wastewater ponds, Part I: Mallard ducks overwintering at a northern wastewater treatment pond. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2017; 143:330-335. [PMID: 27836493 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2016.10.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In northern urban areas, wastewater treatment ponds (WWTPs) may provide a thermal refuge during winter (~10°C) that is used by normally migratory mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). On the ponds, mallards may experience stress due to crowding, or through the ingestion of WWTP water, be exposed to a diverse array of synthetic chemicals, which may have adverse health effects. Photographic sampling was used to assess mallard sex ratios and behavioural patterns throughout the late winter on wastewater ponds in Edmonton, Canada. The WWTP mallard population was large (>1000 birds), but temporally variable and consistently male-dominated. Locomotion and dabbling were the primary behaviors observed; aggression was rarely observed, which suggests crowding stress was low or absent. Mallard abundance tended to be higher at lower air temperatures, suggesting that WWTP ponds acted as a thermal refuge. Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen from duck feces and potential food sources indicated that mallards were not feeding at the site, or on invertebrates or select waste grain from offsite. Rather, ducks either consumed an undetermined food source or were feeding very little. Taken together, the data suggest that winter use of northern WWTP ponds may serve as an alternative to migration, whether this strategy benefits or harms mallards likely depends on winter severity, and not on WWTP pond characteristics or water quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick O Welsh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, T6G 2E9 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Cynthia A Paszkowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, T6G 2E9 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Keith B Tierney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, T6G 2E9 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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9
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Lorrain A, Houlbrèque F, Benzoni F, Barjon L, Tremblay-Boyer L, Menkes C, Gillikin DP, Payri C, Jourdan H, Boussarie G, Verheyden A, Vidal E. Seabirds supply nitrogen to reef-building corals on remote Pacific islets. Sci Rep 2017. [PMID: 28623288 PMCID: PMC5473863 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03781-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seabirds concentrate nutrients from large marine areas on their nesting islands playing an important ecological role in nutrient transfer between marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Here we investigate the role of guano on corals reefs across scales by analyzing the stable nitrogen isotopic (δ15N) values of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis on fringing reefs around two Pacific remote islets with large seabird colonies. Marine stations closest to the seabird colonies had higher nitrate + nitrite concentrations compared to more distant stations. Coral and zooxanthellae δ15N values were also higher at these sites, suggesting that guano-derived nitrogen is assimilated into corals and contributes to their nitrogen requirements. The spatial extent of guano influence was however restricted to a local scale. Our results demonstrate that seabird-derived nutrients not only spread across the terrestrial ecosystem, but also affect components of the adjacent marine ecosystem. Further studies are now needed to assess if this nutrient input has a positive or negative effect for corals. Such studies on remote islets also open fresh perspectives to understand how nutrients affect coral reefs isolated from other anthropogenic stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Lorrain
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), LEMAR - UMR 6539 (UBO, CNRS, IRD, IFREMER), BP A5, 98848, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia.
| | - Fanny Houlbrèque
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, ENTROPIE (UMR9220), IRD, 98848, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Francesca Benzoni
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, ENTROPIE (UMR9220), IRD, 98848, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia.,Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucie Barjon
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), LEMAR - UMR 6539 (UBO, CNRS, IRD, IFREMER), BP A5, 98848, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Laura Tremblay-Boyer
- Pacific Community, Oceanic Fisheries Programme, BP D5, 98848, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Christophe Menkes
- IRD/Sorbonne Universités (UPMC, Université Paris 06)/CNRS/MNHN, LOCEAN - UMR 7159, BP A5, 98848, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia
| | - David P Gillikin
- Department of Geology, Union College, 807 Union St., Schenectady, NY, 12308, USA
| | - Claude Payri
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, ENTROPIE (UMR9220), IRD, 98848, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Hervé Jourdan
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre IRD de Nouméa, BP A5, 98848, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Germain Boussarie
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, ENTROPIE (UMR9220), IRD, 98848, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Anouk Verheyden
- Department of Geology, Union College, 807 Union St., Schenectady, NY, 12308, USA
| | - Eric Vidal
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre IRD de Nouméa, BP A5, 98848, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia
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Lucassen F, Pritzkow W, Rosner M, Sepúlveda F, Vásquez P, Wilke H, Kasemann SA. The stable isotope composition of nitrogen and carbon and elemental contents in modern and fossil seabird guano from Northern Chile - Marine sources and diagenetic effects. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179440. [PMID: 28594902 PMCID: PMC5464657 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Seabird excrements (guano) have been preserved in the arid climate of Northern Chile since at least the Pliocene. The deposits of marine organic material in coastal areas potentially open a window into the present and past composition of the coastal ocean and its food web. We use the stable isotope composition of nitrogen and carbon as well as element contents to compare the principal prey of the birds, the Peruvian anchovy, with the composition of modern guano. We also investigate the impact of diagenetic changes on the isotopic composition and elemental contents of the pure ornithogenic sediments, starting with modern stratified deposits and extending to fossil guano. Where possible, 14C systematics is used for age information. The nitrogen and carbon isotopic composition of the marine prey (Peruvian anchovy) of the birds is complex as it shows strong systematic variations with latitude. The detailed study of a modern profile that represents a few years of guano deposition up to present reveals systematic changes in nitrogen and carbon isotopic composition towards heavier values that increase with age, i.e. depth. Only the uppermost, youngest layers of modern guano show compositional affinity to the prey of the birds. In the profile, the simultaneous loss of nitrogen and carbon occurs by degassing, and non-volatile elements like phosphorous and calcium are passively enriched in the residual guano. Fossil guano deposits are very low in nitrogen and low in carbon contents, and show very heavy nitrogen isotopic compositions. One result of the study is that the use of guano for tracing nitrogen and carbon isotopic and elemental composition in the marine food web of the birds is restricted to fresh material. Despite systematic changes during diagenesis, there is little promise to retrieve reliable values of marine nitrogen and carbon signatures from older guano. However, the changes in isotopic composition from primary marine nitrogen isotopic signatures towards very heavy values generate a compositionally unique material. These compositions trace the presence of guano in natural ecosystems and its use as fertilizer in present and past agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friedrich Lucassen
- Department of Geosciences and MARUM—Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Wolfgang Pritzkow
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Reference Materials, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Fernando Sepúlveda
- Geología Regional, Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Paulina Vásquez
- Geología Regional, Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Hans Wilke
- Departamento de Geología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Simone A. Kasemann
- Department of Geosciences and MARUM—Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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Irick DL, Gu B, Li YC, Inglett PW, Frederick PC, Ross MS, Wright AL, Ewe SML. Wading bird guano enrichment of soil nutrients in tree islands of the Florida Everglades. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 532:40-47. [PMID: 26057723 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Differential distribution of nutrients within an ecosystem can offer insight of ecological and physical processes that are otherwise unclear. This study was conducted to determine if enrichment of phosphorus (P) in tree island soils of the Florida Everglades can be explained by bird guano deposition. Concentrations of total carbon, nitrogen (N), and P, and N stable isotope ratio (δ(15)N) were determined on soil samples from 46 tree islands. Total elemental concentrations and δ(15)N were determined on wading bird guano. Sequential chemical extraction of P pools was also performed on guano. Guano contained between 53.1 and 123.7 g-N kg(-1) and 20.7 and 56.7 g-P kg(-1). Most of the P present in guano was extractable by HCl, which ranged from 82 to 97% of the total P. Total P of tree islands classified as having low or high P soils averaged 0.71 and 40.6 g kg(-1), respectively. Tree island soil with high total P concentration was found to have a similar δ(15)N signature and total P concentration as bird guano. Phosphorus concentrations and δ(15)N were positively correlated in tree island soils (r = 0.83, p< 0.0001). Potential input of guano with elevated concentrations of N and P, and (15)N enriched N, relative to other sources suggests that guano deposition in tree island soils is a mechanism contributing to this pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Irick
- University of Florida, Soil and Water Science Department, Tropical Research and Education Center, 18905 SW 280th St., Homestead, FL 33031, United States
| | - Binhe Gu
- University of Florida, Soil and Water Science Department, 2181 McCarty Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - Yuncong C Li
- University of Florida, Soil and Water Science Department, Tropical Research and Education Center, 18905 SW 280th St., Homestead, FL 33031, United States.
| | - Patrick W Inglett
- University of Florida, Soil and Water Science Department, 2181 McCarty Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - Peter C Frederick
- University of Florida, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall, PO Box 110430, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
| | - Michael S Ross
- Florida International University, Department of Earth and Environment, Southeast Environmental Research Center, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33199, United States
| | - Alan L Wright
- University of Florida, Soil and Water Science Department, Everglades Research and Education Center, 3200 E. Palm Beach Rd., Belle Glade, FL 33430, United States
| | - Sharon M L Ewe
- Ecology and Environment, Inc., 12300 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, FL 33414, United States
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12
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Cross ADP, Hentati-Sundberg J, Österblom H, McGill RAR, Furness RW. Isotopic analysis of island House Martins Delichon urbica indicates marine provenance of nutrients. THE IBIS 2014; 156:676-681. [PMID: 25866414 PMCID: PMC4384760 DOI: 10.1111/ibi.12150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Accepted: 02/22/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The presence of one of the largest colonies of House Martins in Europe on the small island of Stora Karlsö, Sweden, led us to investigate the source of their food by analysis of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. Carbon isotopic values of House Martin nestlings were the same as those of Common Guillemot Uria aalge nestlings fed on marine fish, but differed from local Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis nestlings fed on woodland insects. We infer that these House Martins fed their chicks almost exclusively on insects that had used nutrients derived from seabirds, indicating a dependence on the presence of a large seabird colony. We suggest by extension that some populations of island passerines of high conservation importance may also be dependent on nutrient subsidies from seabird colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D P Cross
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, UK
| | | | - Henrik Österblom
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm UniversityStockholm, Sweden
| | - Rona A R McGill
- Scottish Universities Environmental Research CentreEast Kilbride, UK
| | - Robert W Furness
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of GlasgowGlasgow, UK
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Colabuono FI, Barquete V, Taniguchi S, Ryan PG, Montone RC. Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in the study of organochlorine contaminants in albatrosses and petrels. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2014; 83:241-247. [PMID: 24766898 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2013] [Revised: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/29/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in albatrosses and petrels collected off southern Brazil were compared with concentrations of organochlorine contaminants (OCs). δ(13)C and δ(15)N values, as well as OCs concentrations, exhibited a high degree of variability among individuals and overlap among species. δ(13)C values reflected latitudinal differences among species, with lower values found in Wandering and Tristan Albatrosses and higher values found in Black-browed and Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses and White-chinned Petrels. Some relationships were found between OCs and stable isotopes, but in general a partial 'uncoupling' was observed between OCs concentrations and stable isotopes ratios (especially for δ(15)N). δ(13)C and δ(15)N values in Procellariiformes tissues during the non-breeding season appear to be a better indicator of foraging habitats than of trophic relationships, which may partially explain the high degree of variability between concentrations of OCs and stable isotopes ratios in birds with a diversified diet and wide foraging range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda I Colabuono
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto Oceanográfico, Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Pça. do Oceanográfico, 191, CEP 05508120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
| | - Viviane Barquete
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Satie Taniguchi
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto Oceanográfico, Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Pça. do Oceanográfico, 191, CEP 05508120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Peter G Ryan
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Rosalinda C Montone
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto Oceanográfico, Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Pça. do Oceanográfico, 191, CEP 05508120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Ganz HH, Karaoz U, Getz WM, Versfeld W, Brodie EL. Diversity and structure of soil bacterial communities associated with vultures in an African savanna. Ecosphere 2012. [DOI: 10.1890/es11-00333.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Szpak P, Longstaffe FJ, Millaire JF, White CD. Stable isotope biogeochemistry of seabird guano fertilization: results from growth chamber studies with maize (Zea mays). PLoS One 2012; 7:e33741. [PMID: 22479435 PMCID: PMC3316503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2012] [Accepted: 02/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stable isotope analysis is being utilized with increasing regularity to examine a wide range of issues (diet, habitat use, migration) in ecology, geology, archaeology, and related disciplines. A crucial component to these studies is a thorough understanding of the range and causes of baseline isotopic variation, which is relatively poorly understood for nitrogen (δ(15)N). Animal excrement is known to impact plant δ(15)N values, but the effects of seabird guano have not been systematically studied from an agricultural or horticultural standpoint. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS This paper presents isotopic (δ(13)C and δ(15)N) and vital data for maize (Zea mays) fertilized with Peruvian seabird guano under controlled conditions. The level of (15)N enrichment in fertilized plants is very large, with δ(15)N values ranging between 25.5 and 44.7‰ depending on the tissue and amount of fertilizer applied; comparatively, control plant δ(15)N values ranged between -0.3 and 5.7‰. Intraplant and temporal variability in δ(15)N values were large, particularly for the guano-fertilized plants, which can be attributed to changes in the availability of guano-derived N over time, and the reliance of stored vs. absorbed N. Plant δ(13)C values were not significantly impacted by guano fertilization. High concentrations of seabird guano inhibited maize germination and maize growth. Moreover, high levels of seabird guano greatly impacted the N metabolism of the plants, resulting in significantly higher tissue N content, particularly in the stalk. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The results presented in this study demonstrate the very large impact of seabird guano on maize δ(15)N values. The use of seabird guano as a fertilizer can thus be traced using stable isotope analysis in food chemistry applications (certification of organic inputs). Furthermore, the fertilization of maize with seabird guano creates an isotopic signature very similar to a high-trophic level marine resource, which must be considered when interpreting isotopic data from archaeological material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Szpak
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
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Incorporation of the invasive mallow Lavatera arborea into the food web of an active seabird island. Biol Invasions 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-009-9591-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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