Changes In Stable Isotope Ratios Research Articles

Tracking atrazine degradation in soil combining 14C-mineralisation assays and compound-specific isotope analysis

The quantification of pesticide dissipation in agricultural soil is challenging. In this study, we investigated atrazine biodegradation in both liquid and soil experiments bioaugmented with distinct atrazine-degrading bacterial isolates. This was achieved by combining 14C-mineralisation assays and compound-specific isotope analysis of atrazine. In liquid experiments, the three bacterial isolates mineralised over 40% of atrazine, demonstrating their potential for extensive degradation. However, the kinetics of mineralisation and degradation varied among the isolates. Carbon stable isotope fractionation was similar for Pseudomonas isolates ADPT34 and ADP2T0, but slightly higher for Chelatobacter SR27. In soil experiments, atrazine primarily degraded into atrazine-desethyl, while atrazine-hydroxy was mainly observed in experiments with SR27. Atrazine mineralisation in soil by ADPT34 and SR27 exceeded 40%, whereas ADP2T0 exhibited a mineralisation rate of 10%. In experiments with ADPT34 and SR27, atrazine 14C-residues were predominantly found in the non-extractable fraction, whereas they accumulated in the extractable fraction in the experiment with ADP2T0. Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) relies on changes of stable isotope ratios and holds potential to evaluate herbicide transformation in soil. CSIA of atrazine indicated atrazine biodegradation in water and solvent extractable soil fractions and varied between 29% and 52%, depending on the bacterial isolate. Despite atrazine degradation in both soil fractions, a significant portion of atrazine residues persisted, depending on the bacterial degrader, initial cell concentration, and mineralisation and degradation rates. Overall, our approach can aid in quantifying atrazine persistence and degradation in soil, and in optimizing bioaugmentation strategies for remediating soils contaminated with persistent herbicides.

Changes in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Oxygen Stable Isotope Ratios and Mercury Concentrations in Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) during and after Lactation

The changes in the stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), oxygen (δ18O), and mercury (Hg) concentrations in muscle and liver tissues during and after lactation were studied in killer whales stranded along the coast of Hokkaido, in the northern area of Japan (n = 16). Calf muscles displayed δ13C- and δ15N-enriched peaks and a δ18O-depleted peak during lactation. The δ13C- and δ15N-enriched peaks appear to reflect the extensive nursing of 13C- and 15N-enriched milk and the onset of weaning, whereas the δ18O-depleted peak may be attributable to the extensive nursing of 18O-depleted milk and the onset of weaning. The δ13C and δ15N values tended to gradually increase after the weaning, whereas the δ18O values tended to decrease. The δ13C and δ15N levels in calves were similar between liver and muscle samples, whereas those in mature animals were higher in liver than in muscle samples. The isotopic turnover rates of C and N may be similar between the liver and muscle tissues in calves, which are rapidly growing animals. The Hg concentrations in muscle tissues were slightly higher in small calves than in large calves, probably due to the Hg transfer across placenta. The Hg concentrations in liver and muscle samples increased with increasing body length, and those in two liver samples from mature animals exceeded the high-risk threshold for marine mammal health effects (82 μg/wet g).

Reconstruction of diachronic changes in human fishing activity and marine ecosystems from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of archaeological fish remains

Stable isotope analysis is one of the most effective methods of reconstructing human fishing practices and changes in past marine ecosystems. The effectiveness of this method can be further improved when considering diachronic changes in stable isotope ratios of archaeological remains of several different fish species that exhibit different behavioral or ecological traits. In this study, diachronic changes in human fishing practices and marine ecosystems were investigated for Epi-Jomon (299–258 BC) and Okhotsk (489–1200 AD) periods in prehistoric Hokkaido, northern Japan, by utilizing the stable isotope analysis of archaeological fish bone collagen. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of 242 fish bone samples, representing 12 taxa, excavated from the site of Hamanaka 2 on Rebun Island revealed significantly lower (p < 0.05) nitrogen isotope ratios in cod from the Okhotsk period than the Epi-Jomon period. This difference could be related to the development of fishing gear and/or to changes in fishing strategies in the Okhotsk period, as well as to changes in the behavior of cod because of the rapid cooling climate event separating the two periods. Our results demonstrate that some aspects of past human fishing practices and marine ecosystem change can be reconstructed by considering diachronic changes in the stable isotope ratios of several fish species together.

Stable Isotope Mixing Models Are Biased by the Choice of Sample Preservation and Pre-treatment: Implications for Studies of Aquatic Food Webs

Stable isotope analysis has become one of the most widely used techniques in ecological studies. However, there are still uncertainties about the effects of sample preservation and pre-treatment on the ecological interpretation of stable isotope data and especially on Bayesian stable isotope mixing models. Here, Bayesian mixing models were used to study how three different preservation methods (drying, freezing, formalin) and two pre-treatments (acidification, lipid removal) affect the estimation of the utilized organic matter sources for two benthic invertebrate species (Limecola balthica, Crangon crangon) collected in the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, commonly used mathematical lipid normalization and formalin correction were applied to check if they were able to adjust the model results correctly. Preservation effects were strong on model outcomes for frozen as well as formalin preserved L. balthica samples, but not for C. crangon. Pre-treatment effects varied with species and preservation method and neither lipid normalization nor mathematical formalin correction consistently resulted in the desired model outcomes. Our analysis highlights that particularly small, not significant changes in stable isotope ratios introduced by different preservation and pre-treatments display a so far unrecognized source of error in stable isotope mixing models. We conclude that mathematical correction of benthic invertebrate stable isotopes data should be avoided for Bayesian mixing models and that previously unaddressed effects of sample preservation (especially those arising from preservation by freezing) have potentially biased our understanding of the utilization of organic matter in aquatic food webs.

Evaluation of stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ18O) of nitrate in advanced sewage treatment processes: Isotopic signature in four process types

Stable isotope ratios of nitrate are a powerful tool to evaluate aquatic environment stress from treated and untreated sewage. However, there is generally a lack of knowledge on the change in stable isotope ratios within wastewater treatment plants. We investigated nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ18O) of nitrate in four types of advanced treatment processes operated in parallel; (A) extended aeration activated sludge, (B) anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic (A2O), (C) recycled nitrification-denitrification, and (D) modified Bardenpho. The results exhibited spatial variation of δ15N and δ18O for nitrate within the treatment steps. The changes in δ15N and δ18O may result from the reactor conditions (aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic) and the order of these processes. As decreasing nitrate concentration in the anoxic stages, the δ15N/δ18O ratio for nitrate increased at a rate of 1.3 to 1.6 coupling with the reduction in the nitrate concentration in the anoxic stages. The δ15N and δ18O signatures were attributed to process performance in regard to nitrogen removal. In particular, the modified Bardenpho process has higher nitrogen removal efficiency over other processes, producing effluent with lower nitrate concentration and higher stable isotopes (δ15N: 23.6 to 25.5‰, δ18O: 2.8 to 4.5‰). We concluded that the stable isotope signatures mirrored the treatment efficiency and effluent characteristics.

Shift in trophic niches of soil microarthropods with conversion of tropical rainforest into plantations as indicated by stable isotopes (15N, 13C).

Land-use change is threatening biodiversity worldwide, affecting above and below ground animal communities by altering their trophic niches. However, shifts in trophic niches with changes in land use are little studied and this applies in particular to belowground animals. Oribatid mites are among the most abundant soil animals, involved in decomposition processes and nutrient cycling. We analyzed shifts in trophic niches of six soil-living oribatid mite species with the conversion of lowland secondary rainforest into plantation systems of different land-use intensity (jungle rubber, rubber and oil palm monoculture plantation) in two regions of southwest Sumatra, Indonesia. We measured stable isotope ratios (13C/12C and 15N/14N) of single oribatid mite individuals and calculated shifts in stable isotope niches with changes in land use. Significant changes in stable isotope ratios in three of the six studied oribatid mite species indicated that these species shift their trophic niches with changes in land use. The trophic shift was either due to changes in trophic level (δ15N values), to changes in the use of basal resources (δ13C values) or to changes in both. The trophic shift generally was most pronounced between more natural systems (rainforest and jungle rubber) on one side and monoculture plantations systems (rubber and oil palm plantations) on the other, reflecting that the shifts were related to land-use intensity. Although trophic niches of the other three studied species did not differ significantly between land-use systems they followed a similar trend. Overall, the results suggest that colonization of very different ecosystems such as rainforest and intensively managed monoculture plantations by oribatid mite species likely is related to their ability to shift their trophic niches, i.e. to trophic plasticity.

Effects of CO2 restriction on growth of Nitzschia closterium: Evidence from stable isotopes and fatty acids

Algae blooms frequently occur in the coastal areas of China, and pose numbers of adverse effects to marine environment. Nitzschia closterium is one of the algal species associated with algae blooms and was selected as the target algae of this work. This study was the first attempt to investigate the effect of carbon source restriction on the growth of N. closterium during marine phytoplankton blooms. Experiments were implemented in the CO2-restricted (include three nutritional conditions) and CO2-unrestricted systems, respectively. The stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) and fatty acids (FAs) profiles were measured. Here we hypothesized that the deficient carbon source could lead to the changes of stable isotope ratios and FAs profiles in the N. closterium. The results showed that the δ13C of N. closterium enriched under the CO2 restriction during the culture time (the isotopic difference greater than 27.8‰), whereas depleted under CO2-unrestricted system. Furthermore, within the CO2 restriction, δ15N showed the enrichment trend with increasing culture time under the nitrogen deficiency conditions, where leveled off under the nitrogen non-deficiency conditions. A total of 12 FAs in N. closterium were detected. Within CO2 restriction, FA 20:5n-3c was the predominant congener in all the three conditions. In addition, FA 16:1n-7c was highest in nitrogen deficient, while FA 16:3 was highest in phosphorus deficient condition. Consequently, the deficient carbon sources leaded to inhibit the FA (14:0, 16:0, 16:1n-7c, 16:3, 18:0, 18:3n-3c) synthesis. Overall, the present study provided the new approach to investigate the forming mechanisms of marine phytoplankton blooms by using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions as well as FAs profiles.

Dissolved oxygen concentration affects δ15N values in oyster tissues: implications for stable isotope ecology

AbstractTo investigate the potential effects of physiological stress on stable isotope (SI) ratios in oysters, we transplanted hatchery‐reared oysters to reefs that experienced different concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) in Mobile Bay, Alabama, USA, a freshwater dominated estuary that experiences periodic hypoxia. We monitored physical, biological, and chemical parameters of the environment and biological responses in oysters, including growth, survival, and carbon and nitrogen SI ratios in tissues. Oysters at the low DO site (3.66 ± 0.05 mg/L) had ~1 ‰ higher δ15N values in tissue than oysters at the higher DO site (6.00 ± 0.06 mg/L). Oysters grown at the low DO site also had lower survival (25%) and no growth compared to oysters at the higher DO site, which had 96% survival and growth rates up to 38 mm/d. Multivariate and regression statistics related DO concentration to changes in δ15N values in three different oyster tissues (adductor muscle, gut gland, and gill), regardless of similarity in suspended particulate matter and chlorophyll a concentrations (food quantity), C:N (food quality), and SI composition in available foods between sites. The increased δ15N values in oyster tissues under low DO conditions during this study were consistent with known starvation responses in which oysters stop feeding and catabolize tissues. These data indicate that environmental conditions related to physiological stress can affect SI ratios in oysters in a similar manner to changes in diet composition. Small changes in SI ratios, therefore, may be physiologically significant indicators of environmental stress. When analyzing SI ratios for food web dynamics and source tracing, potential for confounding effects of environmental stressors should be considered.

Using stable isotopes and gas concentrations for independent constraints on microbial methane oxidation at Arctic Ocean temperatures

AbstractMicrobial oxidation of methane in oxic water bodies is an important control on the amount of dissolved methane which is released from the ocean to the atmosphere. We explored the use of stable isotope methane spikes to quantify methane oxidation rates in Arctic seawater samples. A Picarro G2201‐i cavity ring‐down spectrometer was used to determine methane concentration and isotope ratios from headspace samples in foil incubators. The methane mass balance and the change in stable isotope ratios served as independent constraints on methane oxidation. For a fractionation factor of 1.025 oxidation rate constants determined with both methods agreed within 20% for small changes in isotope ratio (e.g., 10‰). For large changes in isotope ratio (e.g., 90‰), which was outside the calibration range, methods diverged. Rate constants down to 0.01 d−1 could be resolved with high statistical support. Stable isotope infrared spectroscopy to determine methane oxidation in foil incubators (ISMOFI) was successfully tested on under ice seawater from Utqiagvik, Alaska, by repeated sampling from each incubation vessel. Depending on the amount of isotope spike added, we determined oxidation rates of 0.15 ± 0.02 nmol L−1 d−1 at in situ methane concentration and a maximal oxidation potential of 271 ± 41 nmol L−1 d−1. The ISMOFI method permits variable incubation durations from days to months in a single incubator. The method is transportable and applicable in a variety of field or seagoing laboratory environments, and it avoids the use of hazardous substances such as radioisotopes and toxic chemicals.

Changes in stable isotope ratios in PDO cheese related to the area of production and green forage availability. The case study of Pecorino Siciliano.

No study has investigated the variations in stable isotope ratios (SIRs) of bioelements within a Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) cheese and few studies have focused on the dietary background of animals. For traceability purposes, it is important to know how and whether these issues affect SIRs in a PDO cheese. Thirty-six Pecorino Siciliano cheese samples were collected in three east-Sicilian areas in seasons in which green herbage was present or absent in the diet of the animals. The determination of C, N and S SIRs was performed using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer coupled with an elemental analyser. The H and O SIRs were measured using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer equipped with a thermal conversion elemental analyser pyrolysis unit. The C, N, H, O and S SIRs measured in defatted cheeses were subjected to a multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis to verify if cheeses could be distinguished based on their geographical origin and on the animals' feeding regimen. Sulfur and nitrogen SIRs allowed the best discrimination among the three areas (97.2% correct classification of the cheeses). The discrimination of the feeding system, to check the presence or not of fresh forage in the diet of the animals, correctly classified 86.1% of the cheeses. The C and O SIRs were the most effective parameters. This study demonstrates that the variability in C, H, O, N and S SIRs can allow discrimination between cheeses produced in a narrow geographical region within a PDO area. This may lead to the search for new tools in authentication studies such as the creation of specific isoscapes. Moreover, this study confirms that SIR determination can also discriminate cheeses obtained from animals fed in stalls from those produced when animals have access to green forage, with benefit in terms of environmental impact, animal welfare and product quality. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterization of Substrate, Cosubstrate, and Product Isotope Effects Associated With Enzymatic Oxygenations of Organic Compounds Based on Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis.

Enzymatic oxygenations are among the most important biodegradation and detoxification reactions of organic pollutants. In the environment, however, such natural attenuation processes are extremely difficult to monitor. Changes of stable isotope ratios of aromatic pollutants at natural isotopic abundances serve as proxies for isotope effects associated with oxygenation reactions. Such isotope fractionations offer new avenues for revealing the pathway and extent of pollutant transformation and provide new insights into the mechanisms of catalysis by Rieske non-heme ferrous iron oxygenases. Based on compound-specific C, H, N, and O isotope analysis, we present a comprehensive methodology with which isotope effects can be derived from the isotope fractionation measured in substrates, the cosubstrate O2, and organic oxygenation products. We use dioxygenation of nitrobenzene and 2-nitrotoluene by nitrobenzene dioxygenase as illustrative examples to introduce different mathematical procedures for deriving apparent substrate and product isotope effects. We present two experimental approaches to control reactant and product turnover for isotope fractionation analysis in experimental systems containing purified enzymes, E. coli clones, and pure strains of environmental microorganisms. Finally, we present instrumental procedures and sample treatment instructions for analysis of C, H, and N isotope analysis in organic compounds and O isotope analysis in aqueous O2 by gas and liquid chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

A comparison of changes in stable isotope ratios in the epidermal mucus and muscle tissue of slow‐growing adult catfish

AbstractAlthough stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for determining diet, migration patterns and the structure of food webs in aquatic systems, the slow response of isotopic ratios in the widely used muscle tissue often hampers this approach, particularly in slow‐growing or adult fishes. We conducted a diet‐switch experiment to compare the changes in the stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C values) in the epidermal mucus and muscle tissue of five‐year‐old catfish (Silurus asotus). The isotope ratios in noninvasively sampled mucus changed more rapidly than those in the muscle tissue. As isotopic change in mucus was relatively rapid, this technique can be used over a finer timescale than traditional isotopic analyses using the muscle tissue. The isotopic change half‐life in our experimental condition was 200 days, which would not be short enough for some research purposes. Examining mucus along with the muscle would enable food habits of slow‐growing fishes to be determined over different timescales. However, the rate of isotopic change in the mucus was negatively affected by the size of fish and was slower than the previously reported rates in juvenile steelhead. These findings suggest that mucus turnover rates need to be determined prior to the field data interpretation.

Joint interpretation of enantiomer and stable isotope fractionation for chiral pesticides degradation

Chiral pesticides are important contaminants affecting the health and functioning of aquatic systems. The combination of stable isotope and enantiomer analysis techniques has been recently proposed to better characterize the fate of these contaminants in natural and engineered settings. We introduce a modeling approach with the aim of unifying and integrating the interpretation of isotopic and enantiomeric fractionation. The model is based on the definition of enantiomer-specific isotopologues and jointly predicts the evolution of concentration, enantiomer fractionation, as well as changes in stable isotope ratios of different elements. The method allows evaluating different transformation pathways and was applied to investigate enzymatic degradation of dichlorprop (DCPP), enzymatic degradation of mecoprop methyl ester (MCPPM), and microbial degradation of α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH) by different bacterial strains and under different redox conditions. The model accurately reproduces the isotopic and enantiomeric data observed in previous experimental studies and precisely captures the dual-dimensional trends characterizing different reaction pathways. Furthermore, the model allows testing possible combinations of enantiomer analysis (EA), compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA), and enantiomer specific isotope analysis (ESIA) to identify and assess isotope and enantiomer selective reaction mechanisms.

Changes in the trophic status of fish feeding guilds in response to flow modification

AbstractRivers are among the most extensively modified ecosystems globally. Identifying linkages between critical drivers of change and ecological response is challenging because of the myriad of ways rivers are modified. This study examines longer‐term relationships (&gt;70 years) between the trophic status of fish and historical flow changes in rivers of the Mississippi Basin. The flow regime of each river is regulated but differs in terms of character of hydrological modification. Tissue samples from specimens obtained from museum collections were used for determination of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios. Questions asked were as follows: (1) Are there differences in stable isotope ratios of fish feeding guilds prior to and following hydrological modification? (2) What hydrological attributes are associated with isotopic changes? And (3) are corresponding changes in stable isotope ratios and hydrology identifiable across different spatial scales? Significant and sustained changes in stable isotope ratios of fish feeding guilds occurred immediately following flow regulation in all rivers. These changes were not associated with human‐induced biogeochemical alterations. The subsequent response was complex because (1) different guilds exhibited pronounced shifts in isotopic ratios, (2) hydrological modification differed between rivers, and (3) differences in stable isotopic ratios varied between spatial scales.

Isotope Effects as New Proxies for Organic Pollutant Transformation.

Assessing the pathways and rates of organic pollutant transformation in the environment is a major challenge due to co-occurring transport and degradation processes. Measuring changes of stable isotope ratios (e.g. (13)C/(12)C, (2)H/(1)H, (15)N/(14)N) in individual organic compounds by compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) makes it possible to identify degradation pathways without the explicit need to quantify pollutant concentration dynamics. The so-called isotope fractionation observed in an organic pollutant is related to isotope effects of (bio)chemical reactions and enables one to characterize pollutant degradation even if multiple processes take place simultaneously. Here, we illustrate some principles of CSIA using benzotriazole, a frequently observed aquatic micropollutant, as example. We show subsequently how the combined C and N isotope fractionation analysis of nitroaromatic compounds reveals kinetics and mechanisms of reductive and oxidative reactions as well as their (bio)degradation pathways in the environment.

Can stable isotopes ride out the storms? The role of convection for water isotopes in models, records, and paleoaltimetry studies in the central Andes

Globally, changes in stable isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen (δO18 and δD) in the meteoric water cycle result from distillation and evaporation processes. Isotope fractionation occurs when air masses rise in elevation, cool, and reduce their water-vapor holding capacity with decreasing temperature. As such, δO18 and δD values from a variety of sedimentary archives are often used to reconstruct changes in continental paleohydrology as well as paleoaltimetry of mountain ranges. Based on 234 stream-water samples, we demonstrate that areas experiencing deep convective storms in the eastern south–central Andes (22–28° S) do not show the commonly observed relationship between δO18 and δD with elevation. These convective storms arise from intermontane basins, where diurnal heating forces warm air masses upward, resulting in cloudbursts and raindrop evaporation. Especially at the boundary between the tropical and extra-tropical atmospheric circulation regimes where deep-convective storms are very common (∼26° to 32° N and S), the impact of such storms may yield non-systematic stable isotope-elevation relationships as convection dominates over adiabatic lifting of air masses. Because convective storms can reduce or mask the depletion of heavy isotopes in precipitation as a function of elevation, linking modern or past topography to patterns of stable isotope proxy records can be compromised in mountainous regions, and atmospheric circulation models attempting to predict stable isotope patterns must have sufficiently high spatial resolution to capture the fractionation dynamics of convective cells.

Diagenetic model of carbonate rocks of Guri Member of Mishan Formation (Lower to Middle Miocene) SE Zagros basin, Iran

In order to understand the post-depositional history of carbonate rocks of Guri Member (Lower to Middle Miocene), three stratigraphic sections were selected in north Bandar-Abbas in southeast of Iran. Sampling was carried out, analyzed for selective parameters such as oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions (δ18O and δ13C) and interpreted in the present study. We recognized several diagenetic processes including micritization, cementation, neomorphism, compaction, dissolution, silicification, dolomitization, fracturing and vein filling. Some of the diagenetic processes occurred at different conditions, so in order to achieve precise interpretation, samples from different carbonate components such as, micrite, fracture cement, solution pore cement, intergranular cement, and some biotic allochems were analyzed. In this study micrite samples were subdivided into two groups including micro-spary and micrite. They were recognized under Cathodoluminescence microscope. In addition, micrite samples were classified into five groups based on their depositional environments: supratidal, lagoon, coral bar, open sea, and open basin. There were minor changes in stable isotope ratios based on the sedimentary environments, stratigraphy successions, and micro-spary or micrite properties. In this study, similar calcite cements in petrography studies were differentiated by stable isotope data. Those calcite cements have formed in different diagenetic environments such as meteoric and burial cements. Paragenetic sequence of carbonate rocks were interpreted by integration of petrographic and isotopic studies. We have reconstructed diagenetic models of Guri Member into four stages including marine, meteoric, burial, and uplifting.

The use of the brown macroalgae, Sargassum flavicans, as a potential bioindicator of industrial nutrient enrichment

Nutrient bioindicators are increasingly being recognised as a diagnostic tool for nutrient enrichment of estuarine and marine ecosystems. Few studies, however, have focused on field translocation of bioindicator organisms to detect nutrient discharge from industrial waste. The brown macroalgae, Sargassum flavicans, was investigated as a potential bioindicator of nutrient-enriched industrial effluent originating from a nickel refinery in tropical north-eastern Australia. S. flavicans was translocated to a number of nutrient enriched creek and oceanic sites over two seasons and assessed for changes in stable isotope ratios of 15N and 13C within the plant tissue in comparison to reference sites. Nutrient uptake in macroalgae, translocated to the nutrient enriched sites adjacent to the refinery, increased 3–4-fold in δ15N, compared to reference sites. Using δ15N of translocated S. flavicans proved to be a successful method for monitoring time-integrated uptake of nitrogen, given the current lack of passive sampler technology for nutrient monitoring.

Temporal variability of a benthic food web: patterns and processes in a low-diversity system

Trophic interactions are not static links, but are dynamic both in space and time. In tem- perate environments, seasonal patterns in primary production may be pronounced and, hence, the zoobenthic community and the trophic couplings within it change during the main production sea- son. We assessed temporal variability in a benthic food web using stable isotope ratios of C and N. Organisms belonging to 3 trophic levels, producers (e.g. macroalgae and vascular plants), primary consumers (macrozoobenthos) and secondary consumers (epibenthic fishes and Crangon crangon), were sampled monthly in a shallow soft-substrate habitat in the northern Baltic Sea. The study focused on intra-seasonal (main production period from June to September 2005) and inter-annual (comparing data collected in June of 2 consecutive years) variability of trophic interactions involving phyto- and zoobenthos. Intra-seasonal changes in stable isotope ratios of food web components occurred both on a horizontal (within a trophic level) and a vertical scale (between trophic levels). Generally, unimodal patterns were evident, with enrichment of 13 C and depletion of 15 N occurring during the production period. The fluctuation in stable isotope values over the season decreased with increasing trophic level. Predator stable isotope values are probably affected by changes at the base of the food web and changes in consumer diet. The intra-seasonal pattern, together with limited interannual variability, indicates a temporally stable food web structure.

Nitrogen balance and δ15N: why you're not what you eat during nutritional stress

While past experiments on animals, birds, fish, and insects have shown changes in stable isotope ratios due to nutritional stress, there has been little research on this topic in humans. To address this issue, a small pilot study was conducted. Hair samples from eight pregnant women who experienced nutritional stress associated with the nausea and vomiting of morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum) were measured for carbon (delta13C) and nitrogen (delta15N) stable isotope ratios. The delta13C results showed no change during morning sickness or pregnancy when compared with pre-pregnancy values. In contrast, the delta15N values generally increased during periods of weight loss and/or restricted weight gain associated with morning sickness. With weight gain and recovery from nutritional stress, the hair delta15N values displayed a decreasing trend over the course of gestation towards birth. This study illustrates how delta15N values are not only affected by diet, but also by the nitrogen balance of an individual. Potential applications of this research include the development of diagnostic techniques for tracking eating disorders, disease states, and nitrogen balance in archaeological, medical, and forensic cases.