scholarly journals The Importance of Isotopic Turnover for Understanding Key Aspects of Animal Ecology and Nutrition

Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wales A. Carter ◽  
Ulf Bauchinger ◽  
Scott R. McWilliams
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Marine Systems ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dietary Shifts ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Isotopic Turnover

Stable isotope-based methods have proved to be immensely valuable for ecological studies ranging in focus from animal movements to species interactions and community structure. Nevertheless, the use of these methods is dependent on assumptions about the incorporation and turnover of isotopes within animal tissues, which are oftentimes not explicitly acknowledged and vetted. Thus, the purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the estimation of stable isotope turnover rates in animals, and to highlight the importance of these estimates for ecological studies in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems that may use a wide range of stable isotopes. Specifically, we discuss 1) the factors that contribute to variation in turnover among individuals and across species, which influences the use of stable isotopes for diet reconstructions, 2) the differences in turnover among tissues that underlie so-called ‘isotopic clocks’, which are used to estimate the timing of dietary shifts, and 3) the use of turnover rates to estimate nutritional requirements and reconstruct histories of nutritional stress from tissue isotope signatures. As we discuss these topics, we highlight recent works that have effectively used estimates of turnover to design and execute informative ecological studies. Our concluding remarks suggest several steps that will improve our understanding of isotopic turnover and support its integration into a wider range of ecological studies.

scholarly journals Ecological Niche Space of Fish Communities in Impounded Sections of Large Rivers: Its Application to Assessment of the Impact of Weirs on River Ecosystems

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Hur ◽  
Min-Ho Jang ◽  
Kyung-Hoon Shin ◽  
Kyung-Lak Lee ◽  
Kwang-Hyeon Chang
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Niche Space ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

To estimate the impact of weirs on large river fish communities, we applied the ecological niche space (ENS) measured quantitatively using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios to the monitoring of effects of weirs constructed on four major rivers in Korea. ENS was calculated using the Bayesian stable isotope in R statistics. The ENS of fish communities showed persistent differences between upstream and downstream areas of all studied weirs. The ENSs of omnivores were larger in upstream impounded areas but the ENSs of predator species, both endemic (Erythroculter erythropterus) and exotic (Micropterus salmoides) predators had decreased ENSs in upstream areas. E. erythropterus showed horizontal variations in a wide range of carbon stable isotopes, whereas M. salmoides showed vertical variations in nitrogen stable isotopes. The results suggest that weir construction may have species-specific impact on the ENS of fish community by impoundment and increase niche overlap in upstream areas of the weir. The measured ENS of fish community was significantly correlated with the relative abundance of tolerant species negatively, whereas correlated with that of endemic species positively, suggesting that the ENS can be used as a comprehensive indicator of habitat conditions.

scholarly journals Isotopic discrimination factors and nitrogen turnover rates in reared Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae (Thunnus thynnus): effects of maternal transmission

2016 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amaya Uriarte ◽  
Alberto García ◽  
Aurelio Ortega ◽  
Fernando De la Gándara ◽  
José Quintanilla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Bluefin Tuna ◽  
Gilthead Seabream ◽  
Half Time ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
Thunnus Thynnus ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Nitrogen Turnover ◽  
Discrimination Factors

The use of stable isotope analysis to study animal diets requires estimates of isotopic turnover rates (half time, t50) and discrimination factors (Δ) for an accurate interpretation of trophic patterns. The stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were analysed for eggs and reared larvae of Thunnus thynnus, as well as for the different diets supplied during the experiment. The results showed high values of δ15N in eggs and larvae (n=646) until 4 DAH. After this time lapse, the stable isotope values declined progressively until 12 DAH, when notochord flexion began. The δ13C showed an inverse trend, suggesting that maternal inheritance of the stable isotopes is evident until pre-flexion stages. This study proposes a model for estimating maternal isotopic signatures of bluefin broodstock. After notochord flexion, larvae were fed with aquaculture-bred gilthead seabream, which resulted in a rapid increase of bluefin larvae δ15N values together with a rapid decrease in δ13C values. The estimated nitrogen half-time to reach the steady state from the diet was 2.5±0.3 days and the discrimination factor was 0.4±0.3(‰). These results represent the first data set that has allowed isotopic nitrogen turnover rates and discrimination factors of the larval stages of bluefin tuna to be estimated.

scholarly journals Analysis of 15N-NO3− Via Anoxic Slurries Coupled to MIMS Analysis: An Application to Estimate Nitrification by Burrowing Macrofauna

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2310
Author(s):  
Carpintero Moraes ◽  
Arroyave Gòmez ◽  
Vincenzi ◽  
Castaldelli ◽  
Fano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Microbial Reduction ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Anoxic Sediment ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Analytical Approaches

The increasing use of the stable isotope 15N-NO3− for the quantification of ecological processes requires analytical approaches able to distinguish between labelled and unlabeled N forms. We present a method coupling anoxic sediment slurries and membrane inlet mass spectrometry to quantify dissolved 15N-NO3− and 14N-NO3−. The approach is based on the microbial reduction of 14N-NO3− and 15N-NO3− mixed pool, the determination of the produced 29N2 and 30N2, and the calculation of the original 15N-NO3− and 14N-NO3− concentrations. The reduction is carried out in 12 mL exetainers containing 2 mL of sediment and 10 mL of water, under anoxia. To validate this approach, we prepared multiple standard solutions containing 15N-NO3− alone or in combinations with 14N-NO3−, with final concentrations varying from 0.5 to 3000 µM. We recovered nearly 90% of the initial 14N-NO3− or 15N-NO3−, over a wide range of concentrations and isotope ratios in the standards. We applied this method to a 15N-NO3− dilution experiment targeting the measurement of nitrification in sediments with and without the burrower Sparganophilus tamesis. The oligochaete did not stimulate nitrification, likely due to limited ventilation and unfavorable conditions for nitrifiers growth. The proposed method is reliable, fast, and could be applied to multiple ecological studies.

Relationship between morphometrics and trophic levels in deep-sea fishes

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 225-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Ladds ◽  
MH Pinkerton ◽  
E Jones ◽  
LM Durante ◽  
MR Dunn
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Trophic Level ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Fish Size ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Gape Size ◽  
Morphological Variables

Marine food webs are structured, in part, by predator gape size. Species found in deep-sea environments may have evolved such that they can consume prey of a wide range of sizes, to maximise resource intake in a low-productivity ecosystem. Estimates of gape size are central to some types of ecosystem model that determine which prey are available to predators, but cannot always be measured directly. Deep-sea species are hypothesized to have larger gape sizes than shallower-water species relative to their body size and, because of pronounced adaptive foraging behaviour, show only a weak relationship between gape size and trophic level. Here we present new data describing selective morphological measurements and gape sizes of 134 osteichthyan and chondrichthyan species from the deep sea (200-1300 m) off New Zealand. We describe how gape size (height, width and area) varied with factors including fish size, taxonomy (class and order within a class) and trophic level estimated from stable isotopes. For deep-sea species, there was a strong relationship between gape size and fish size, better predicted by body mass than total length, which varied by taxonomic group. Results show that predictions of gape size can be made from commonly measured morphological variables. No relationship between gape size and trophic level was found, likely a reflection of using trophic level estimates from stable isotopes as opposed to the commonly used estimates from FishBase. These results support the hypothesis that deep-sea fish are generalists within their environment, including suspected scavenging, even at the highest trophic levels.

Safety assessment of biological raw materials in the system of medicines quality assurance

2020 ◽  
pp. 63-72
Author(s):  
Yu. Olefir ◽  
E. Sakanyan ◽  
I. Osipova ◽  
V. Dobrynin ◽  
M. Smirnova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
First Time ◽  
Medicines Quality

The entry of a wide range of biotechnological products into the pharmaceutical market calls for rein-forcement of the quality, efficacy and safety standards at the state level. The following general monographs have been elaborated for the first time to be included into the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation, XIV edition: "Viral safety" and "Reduction of the risk of transmitting animal spongiform encephalopathy via medicinal products". These general monographs were elaborated taking into account the requirements of foreign pharmacopoeias and the WHO recommendations. The present paper summarises the key aspects of the monographs.

Soames' & Southam's Oral Pathology

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Robinson ◽  
Keith Hunter ◽  
Michael Pemberton ◽  
Philip Sloan
Keyword(s):  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Oral Pathology ◽  
Pathological Features ◽  
Oral Diseases ◽  
Oral Medicine ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Facial Region ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cross Sectional Imaging ◽  
Key Aspects

A sound understanding of clinical oral pathology is essential if a dental clinician is to navigate successfully through clinical guidelines, make timely referrals to specialists, and provide good care for patients. This new edition of Soames' & Southam's Oral Pathology provides a clear and friendly guide for students, practitioners, and the whole dental team. Thoroughly updated for today's clinical practice, this textbook covers 'must-know' oral pathology and integrates key aspects of oral medicine. It begins by explaining the principles of clinical assessment, the synthesis of a differential diagnosis, and the selection of further investigations including laboratory tests. Ten chapters bring this theory to life by looking at the clinical and pathological features of a wide range of common oral diseases including oral cancer, salivary gland disorders, and diseases of the jaws. Two new chapters address skin diseases affecting the oro-facial region and neck lumps. A final chapter highlights the importance of clinical oral pathology in the context of systemic human disease. New radiology content includes examples of cross-sectional imaging. Photomicrographs have been replaced with carefully selected images to illustrate key pathological features. Each chapter includes key points boxes and tables to aid learning. Written by experts in both oral pathology and oral medicine, this new edition is a must-have for dentistry students, and those working in the field, providing current and trustworthy information.

Ecological and isotopic discrimination of syntopic rodents in a neotropical rain forest of French Guiana

2003 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-François Mauffrey ◽  
François Catzeflis
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
French Guiana ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Carbon Isotope Ratios ◽  
Photosynthetic Pathways ◽  
Feeding Process ◽  
Neotropical Rain Forest

Stable isotopes are commonly used in ecological studies to infer food resources (Ambrose & DeNiro 1986, Bocherens et al. 1990,1991,1994;Yoshinaga et al. 1991) since isotopic composition is conserved during the feeding process. Moreover,for herbivorous (sensu lato) species, it is often possible to identify the main resource because different photosynthetic pathways generate different values of carbon isotope ratios (Park & Epstein 1961, Sternberg et al. 1984). This allows the characterization of broad biota such as savannas or forest and discrimination of grazers from sympatric folivorous species (DeNiro & Epstein 1978).

The functions and positions of political parties in consociational democracies: theoretical and empirical contexts

2020 ◽  
pp. 28-33
Author(s):  
O. Morhuniuk
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Party System ◽  
Party Competition ◽  
European Countries ◽  
The Past ◽  
Democratic Regimes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Further Development

An article is devoted to the analysis of the functions and formats of political parties in consociational democracies. In particular, it is defined that parties that represent the interests of certain subcultures in society and that reach a consensus among themselves at the level of political agreements are called segmental. At the same time, parties that encapsulate different subgroups of the society that cooperate inside the party within main features of the consociational theory (grand coalition, mutual veto, proportionality in representations, and independence of segments or society subcultures) are called consociational. The theory of consociationalism has received a wide range of theoretical additions and criticism from political scientists over the past fifty years. And while political parties should have been, by definition, one of the key aspects of research within such democratic regimes (parties are part of large coalitions and agents of representation of certain subcultures), there is very scarce number of literature that focuses on this aspect. Therefore, the presented article provides a description of the functions of political parties that could be observed as inside their subcultures as well as in interaction with other segmental parties. Based on the experience of two European countries in the period of “classical” consociationalism (Belgium and the Netherlands), we explain the functions of the parties we have defined in such societies with examples of relevant consociational practices in them. Simultaneously with the analysis of segmental parties, the article also offers the characteristics of consociational parties. The emergence of such parties has its own institutional and historical features. The way of further development of the party system and the level of preservation of consociational practices makes it possible to understand the nature of changes in the societies. Similarly, the analysis of the forms of party competition and interaction between segmental parties makes it possible to outline the forms of those consociational changes that are taking place in the research countries.

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