What can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems?
Understanding how climate change and increasing human impacts may exert pressure on ecosystems and threaten biodiversity requires efficient monitoring programs. Indicator species have been proposed as useful tools, and predators and their diet may be particularly suitable. The vast and remote arctic...
Published in: | Ecosystems |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
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2015
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Online Access: | https://pure.knaw.nl/portal/en/publications/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-014-9834-9 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11755/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 |
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ftknawnlpublic:oai:pure.knaw.nl:publications/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 2024-06-23T07:48:58+00:00 What can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems? Ehrich, D. Ims, R.A. Yoccoz, N.G. Lecomte, N. Killengreen, S.T. Fuglei, E. Rodnikova, A.Y. Ebbinge, B.S. Menyushina, I.E. Nolet, Bart Prokovsky, I.G. Popov, I.Y. Schmidt, N.M. Sokolov, A. Sokolova, N.A. Sokolov, V.A. 2015 https://pure.knaw.nl/portal/en/publications/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-014-9834-9 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11755/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 eng eng https://pure.knaw.nl/portal/en/publications/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Ehrich , D , Ims , R A , Yoccoz , N G , Lecomte , N , Killengreen , S T , Fuglei , E , Rodnikova , A Y , Ebbinge , B S , Menyushina , I E , Nolet , B , Prokovsky , I G , Popov , I Y , Schmidt , N M , Sokolov , A , Sokolova , N A & Sokolov , V A 2015 , ' What can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems? ' , Ecosystems , vol. 18 , no. 3 , pp. 404-416 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-014-9834-9 international article 2015 ftknawnlpublic https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-014-9834-920.500.11755/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 2024-05-27T23:59:11Z Understanding how climate change and increasing human impacts may exert pressure on ecosystems and threaten biodiversity requires efficient monitoring programs. Indicator species have been proposed as useful tools, and predators and their diet may be particularly suitable. The vast and remote arctic tundra represents a good case study as shifts in ecosystem states are presently occurring, and monitoring is a major challenge. Here we assess what stable isotopes reflecting the diet of the arctic fox, a widespread and highly flexible top predator, can contribute to effective monitoring of the vertebrate prey basis of Arctic tundra. We used data collected over 2–5 years from six sites in the Eurasian Arctic and Greenland. Stable isotope signatures of arctic fox winter fur reflected both spatial and temporal variability in the composition of the vertebrate prey basis. Clear contrasts were apparent in the importance of marine resources, as well as of small rodents and their multiannual density fluctuations. Some important resources could however not be separated because of confounding isotopic signatures. Moreover, except for preferred prey, the proportions of prey in the diet may not necessarily reflect the relative importance of species in the community of available prey. Knowing these limitations, we suggest that the arctic fox diet as inferred from stable isotopes could serve as one of several key targets in ecosystem-based monitoring programs. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Fox Arctic Climate change Greenland Tundra KNAW: Research Explorer (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) Arctic Greenland Ecosystems 18 3 404 416 |
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Open Polar |
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KNAW: Research Explorer (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) |
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ftknawnlpublic |
language |
English |
topic |
international |
spellingShingle |
international Ehrich, D. Ims, R.A. Yoccoz, N.G. Lecomte, N. Killengreen, S.T. Fuglei, E. Rodnikova, A.Y. Ebbinge, B.S. Menyushina, I.E. Nolet, Bart Prokovsky, I.G. Popov, I.Y. Schmidt, N.M. Sokolov, A. Sokolova, N.A. Sokolov, V.A. What can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems? |
topic_facet |
international |
description |
Understanding how climate change and increasing human impacts may exert pressure on ecosystems and threaten biodiversity requires efficient monitoring programs. Indicator species have been proposed as useful tools, and predators and their diet may be particularly suitable. The vast and remote arctic tundra represents a good case study as shifts in ecosystem states are presently occurring, and monitoring is a major challenge. Here we assess what stable isotopes reflecting the diet of the arctic fox, a widespread and highly flexible top predator, can contribute to effective monitoring of the vertebrate prey basis of Arctic tundra. We used data collected over 2–5 years from six sites in the Eurasian Arctic and Greenland. Stable isotope signatures of arctic fox winter fur reflected both spatial and temporal variability in the composition of the vertebrate prey basis. Clear contrasts were apparent in the importance of marine resources, as well as of small rodents and their multiannual density fluctuations. Some important resources could however not be separated because of confounding isotopic signatures. Moreover, except for preferred prey, the proportions of prey in the diet may not necessarily reflect the relative importance of species in the community of available prey. Knowing these limitations, we suggest that the arctic fox diet as inferred from stable isotopes could serve as one of several key targets in ecosystem-based monitoring programs. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ehrich, D. Ims, R.A. Yoccoz, N.G. Lecomte, N. Killengreen, S.T. Fuglei, E. Rodnikova, A.Y. Ebbinge, B.S. Menyushina, I.E. Nolet, Bart Prokovsky, I.G. Popov, I.Y. Schmidt, N.M. Sokolov, A. Sokolova, N.A. Sokolov, V.A. |
author_facet |
Ehrich, D. Ims, R.A. Yoccoz, N.G. Lecomte, N. Killengreen, S.T. Fuglei, E. Rodnikova, A.Y. Ebbinge, B.S. Menyushina, I.E. Nolet, Bart Prokovsky, I.G. Popov, I.Y. Schmidt, N.M. Sokolov, A. Sokolova, N.A. Sokolov, V.A. |
author_sort |
Ehrich, D. |
title |
What can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems? |
title_short |
What can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems? |
title_full |
What can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems? |
title_fullStr |
What can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems? |
title_full_unstemmed |
What can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems? |
title_sort |
what can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems? |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://pure.knaw.nl/portal/en/publications/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-014-9834-9 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11755/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland |
genre |
Arctic Fox Arctic Climate change Greenland Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Fox Arctic Climate change Greenland Tundra |
op_source |
Ehrich , D , Ims , R A , Yoccoz , N G , Lecomte , N , Killengreen , S T , Fuglei , E , Rodnikova , A Y , Ebbinge , B S , Menyushina , I E , Nolet , B , Prokovsky , I G , Popov , I Y , Schmidt , N M , Sokolov , A , Sokolova , N A & Sokolov , V A 2015 , ' What can stable isotope analysis of top predator tissues contribute to monitoring of tundra ecosystems? ' , Ecosystems , vol. 18 , no. 3 , pp. 404-416 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-014-9834-9 |
op_relation |
https://pure.knaw.nl/portal/en/publications/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-014-9834-920.500.11755/fe0ea205-c66f-4de9-9c67-7f4faeac5551 |
container_title |
Ecosystems |
container_volume |
18 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
404 |
op_container_end_page |
416 |
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1802639269526765568 |