Authors
Scott F Pearson, Douglas J Levey, Cathryn H Greenberg, Carlos Martínez del Rio
Publication date
2003/5
Journal
Oecologia
Volume
135
Pages
516-523
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Description
The use of stable isotopes to infer diet requires quantifying the relationship between diet and tissues and, in particular, knowing of how quickly isotopes turnover in different tissues and how isotopic concentrations of different food components change (discriminate) when incorporated into consumer tissues. We used feeding trials with wild-caught yellow-rumped warblers (Dendroica coronata) to determine δ15N and δ13C turnover rates for blood, δ15N and δ13C diet-tissue discrimination factors, and diet-tissue relationships for blood and feathers. After 3 weeks on a common diet, 36 warblers were assigned to one of four diets differing in the relative proportion of fruit and insects. Plasma half-life estimates ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 days for δ13C and from 0.5 to 1.7 days for δ15N . Half-life did not differ among diets. Whole blood half-life for δ13C ranged from 3.9 to 6.1 days. Yellow-rumped warbler tissues were …
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