Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170633.].
Highlights
Natural variation in nitrogen (15N/14N) and carbon (13C/12C) stable isotope ratios has provided important insights into food web structure and biogeochemical processing of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) within ecosystems [1–4]
Our meta-analysis showed a large variation in the Δ15N and Δ13C values of consumers (Δ15N range: –0.82 to 4.30‰; mean: 0.47‰ and Δ13C range: –1.92 to 2.62‰; mean: 0.01‰)
That starvation results in changes in consumer δ15N values which are mainly explained by the length of the fasting period and by nitrogen and energy metabolism, but the underlying mechanisms of the starvation effects on δ13C values seem to be more complex than previously thought
Summary
Natural variation in nitrogen (15N/14N) and carbon (13C/12C) stable isotope ratios has provided important insights into food web structure and biogeochemical processing of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) within ecosystems [1–4]. This is because the manner in which the stable isotopic composition of N (δ15N) and C (δ13C) of a consumer reflects its diet is fairly predictable [2,5,6]. Many feeding experiments have been conducted to estimate the sources of variation in the δ15N and δ13C values of consumers and their prey [9] These studies have shown that several important physiological, life-history and environmental factors can affect the δ15N and δ13C values of consumers and their trophic enrichment. Consumer nutritional status, such as N-poor resources or starvation, can cause an increase in δ15N and δ13C values of consumers [10]
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