Seabird modulations of isotopic nitrogen on islands.
The transport of nutrients by migratory animals across ecosystem boundaries can significantly enrich recipient food webs, thereby shaping the ecosystems' structure and function. To illustrate the potential role of islands in enabling the transfer of matter across ecosystem boundaries to be gaug...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2012-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3377609?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818924817181573120 |
|---|---|
| author | Stéphane Caut Elena Angulo Benoit Pisanu Lise Ruffino Lucie Faulquier Olivier Lorvelec Jean-Louis Chapuis Michel Pascal Eric Vidal Franck Courchamp |
| author_facet | Stéphane Caut Elena Angulo Benoit Pisanu Lise Ruffino Lucie Faulquier Olivier Lorvelec Jean-Louis Chapuis Michel Pascal Eric Vidal Franck Courchamp |
| author_sort | Stéphane Caut |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The transport of nutrients by migratory animals across ecosystem boundaries can significantly enrich recipient food webs, thereby shaping the ecosystems' structure and function. To illustrate the potential role of islands in enabling the transfer of matter across ecosystem boundaries to be gauged, we investigated the influence of seabirds on nitrogen input on islands. Basing our study on four widely differing islands in terms of their biogeography and ecological characteristics, sampled at different spatial and temporal intervals, we analyzed the nitrogen isotopic values of the main terrestrial ecosystem compartments (vascular plants, arthropods, lizards and rodents) and their relationship to seabird values. For each island, the isotopic values of the ecosystem were driven by those of seabirds, which ultimately corresponded to changes in their marine prey. First, terrestrial compartments sampled within seabird colonies were the most enriched in δ(15)N compared with those collected at various distances outside colonies. Second, isotopic values of the whole terrestrial ecosystems changed over time, reflecting the values of seabirds and their prey, showing a fast turnover throughout the ecosystems. Our results demonstrate that seabird-derived nutrients not only spread across the terrestrial ecosystems and trophic webs, but also modulate their isotopic values locally and temporally on these islands. The wealth of experimental possibilities in insular ecosystems justifies greater use of these model systems to further our understanding of the modalities of trans-boundary nutrient transfers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T02:31:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7bd04957d4604cf1a3650b45fea70959 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T02:31:21Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-7bd04957d4604cf1a3650b45fea709592022-12-21T19:56:34ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032012-01-0176e3912510.1371/journal.pone.0039125Seabird modulations of isotopic nitrogen on islands.Stéphane CautElena AnguloBenoit PisanuLise RuffinoLucie FaulquierOlivier LorvelecJean-Louis ChapuisMichel PascalEric VidalFranck CourchampThe transport of nutrients by migratory animals across ecosystem boundaries can significantly enrich recipient food webs, thereby shaping the ecosystems' structure and function. To illustrate the potential role of islands in enabling the transfer of matter across ecosystem boundaries to be gauged, we investigated the influence of seabirds on nitrogen input on islands. Basing our study on four widely differing islands in terms of their biogeography and ecological characteristics, sampled at different spatial and temporal intervals, we analyzed the nitrogen isotopic values of the main terrestrial ecosystem compartments (vascular plants, arthropods, lizards and rodents) and their relationship to seabird values. For each island, the isotopic values of the ecosystem were driven by those of seabirds, which ultimately corresponded to changes in their marine prey. First, terrestrial compartments sampled within seabird colonies were the most enriched in δ(15)N compared with those collected at various distances outside colonies. Second, isotopic values of the whole terrestrial ecosystems changed over time, reflecting the values of seabirds and their prey, showing a fast turnover throughout the ecosystems. Our results demonstrate that seabird-derived nutrients not only spread across the terrestrial ecosystems and trophic webs, but also modulate their isotopic values locally and temporally on these islands. The wealth of experimental possibilities in insular ecosystems justifies greater use of these model systems to further our understanding of the modalities of trans-boundary nutrient transfers.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3377609?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Stéphane Caut Elena Angulo Benoit Pisanu Lise Ruffino Lucie Faulquier Olivier Lorvelec Jean-Louis Chapuis Michel Pascal Eric Vidal Franck Courchamp Seabird modulations of isotopic nitrogen on islands. PLoS ONE |
| title | Seabird modulations of isotopic nitrogen on islands. |
| title_full | Seabird modulations of isotopic nitrogen on islands. |
| title_fullStr | Seabird modulations of isotopic nitrogen on islands. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seabird modulations of isotopic nitrogen on islands. |
| title_short | Seabird modulations of isotopic nitrogen on islands. |
| title_sort | seabird modulations of isotopic nitrogen on islands |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3377609?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stephanecaut seabirdmodulationsofisotopicnitrogenonislands AT elenaangulo seabirdmodulationsofisotopicnitrogenonislands AT benoitpisanu seabirdmodulationsofisotopicnitrogenonislands AT liseruffino seabirdmodulationsofisotopicnitrogenonislands AT luciefaulquier seabirdmodulationsofisotopicnitrogenonislands AT olivierlorvelec seabirdmodulationsofisotopicnitrogenonislands AT jeanlouischapuis seabirdmodulationsofisotopicnitrogenonislands AT michelpascal seabirdmodulationsofisotopicnitrogenonislands AT ericvidal seabirdmodulationsofisotopicnitrogenonislands AT franckcourchamp seabirdmodulationsofisotopicnitrogenonislands |