Discriminating trophic niches of carnivorous benthic macroinvertebrates with gut contents, stable isotopes, and fatty acids

2019 ◽  
Vol 631 ◽  
pp. 49-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
CA North ◽  
JR Lovvorn ◽  
JM Kolts ◽  
LW Cooper ◽  
JM Grebmeier
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Trophic Niches

scholarly journals Multidimensional trophic niche revealed by complementary approaches: gut content, digestive enzymes, fatty acids and stable isotopes in soil fauna

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton M. Potapov ◽  
Melanie M. Pollierer ◽  
Sandrine Salmon ◽  
Vladimír Šustr ◽  
Ting-Wen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Digestive Enzymes ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
List Type ◽  
Gut Content ◽  
Additional Value ◽  
Trophic Niches

AbstractThe trophic niche of an organism is tightly related to its role in the ecosystem and to interactions with other species. Thousands of species of soil animals feed on detritus and co-exist with apparently low specialisation in food resource use. Trophic niche differentiation may explain species coexistence in such a cryptic environment. However, most of the existing studies provide only few and isolated evidence on food resources, thus simplifying the multidimensional nature of the trophic niches available in soil.Focusing on one of the most diverse soil taxa – springtails (Collembola) – we aimed to reveal the additional value of information provided by four complementary methods: visual gut content-, digestive enzyme-, fatty acid- and stable isotope analyses, and to demonstrate the multidimensional nature of trophic niches.From 40 studies, we compiled fifteen key trophic niche parameters for 125 species, each analysed with at least one method. Focusing on interspecific variability, we explored correlations of trophic niche parameters and described variation of these parameters in different Collembola species, taxonomic groups and life forms.Correlation between trophic niche parameters of different methods was weak in 45 out of 64 pairwise comparisons, reflecting the complementarity of the multidimensional trophic niche approach. Gut content and fatty acids provided comparable information on fungivory and plant feeding in Collembola. Information provided by digestive enzymes differed from that gained by the other methods, suggesting its high additional value. Stable isotopes were mainly related to plant versus microbial feeding. Many parameters were affected by taxonomic affiliation but not life form. Furthermore, we showed evidence of bacterial feeding, which may be more common in Collembola than usually assumed.Different methods reveal different feeding dimensions, together drawing a comprehensive picture of the trophic niche in taxa with diverse feeding habits. Food web studies will benefit from simultaneously applying several joint approaches, allowing to trace trophic complexity. Future studies on the multidimensional trophic niche may improve understanding of food-web functioning and help to explain species coexistence in cryptic environments such as soil.

scholarly journals Trophic niches of sympatric tropical tuna in the Western Indian Ocean inferred by stable isotopes and neutral fatty acids

2016 ◽  
Vol 146 ◽  
pp. 75-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fany Sardenne ◽  
Nathalie Bodin ◽  
Emmanuel Chassot ◽  
Aurélien Amiel ◽  
Edwin Fouché ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Western Indian Ocean ◽  
Tropical Tuna ◽  
Trophic Niches

scholarly journals Diurnal variations in the concentrations of volatile fatty acids in the alimentary tracts of wild rabbits

1972 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Henning ◽  
F. J. R. Hird
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Distal Colon ◽  
Proximal Colon ◽  
Diurnal Variations ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Excretion Pattern ◽  
Colon And Rectum ◽  
High Concentrations

1. Wild rabbits were caught during both phases of the excretory cycle and their gut contents were analysed for volatile fatty acids (VFA).2. All rabbits were found to have high concentrations of VFA in the caecum and in the proximal colon. Acetic was the most abundant acid followed by n-butyric, then propionic.3. VFA concentrations in the caecum and in the proximal colon of rabbits caught during the day and during the night were similar. Hard pellets from the distal colon and rectum of rabbits caught during the night had considerably less VFA than did the soft pellets from rabbits caught during the day.4. Owing to the ingestion of soft faeces, the VFA content of stomach material was greater in rabbits caught during the day than in those caught at night.5. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanism of the diurnal excretion pattern and the role of coprophagy in the rabbit.

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