In the last thirty years, animal trophic ecology has been increasingly studied using stable isotope ratios approach (Boecklen et al. 2011). Generally, ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotopes have been used to reconstruct food chains and describe trophic niches of animals inside ecosystems (Post 2002, McCutchan et al. 2003, Bearhop et al. 2004). Moreover, isotopic ratios in animal tissues ultimately reflect diet, and the isotopic composition of diet reflects biogeochemical characteristics of growth environments/habitats. Finally, the isotopic signature of environment may show spatial pattern, both at local and continental scale (Hobson 2005, West et al. 2010). Thus, isotopic variability of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur among different species is related to species physiology and trophic niche, depending on isotopic landscape in which tissues have been grown (Hobson and Wassenaar 2008). In this study, we measured carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios in feathers of 48 species of European Passerines. More than 800 birds were captured and banded in a ringing station set on an alpine pass in Trentino province (‘Bocca di Caset’, Progetto Alpi, Pedrini et al. 2008, 2012) during post-breeding migration (August-October, migration from northern breeding quartiers to southern wintering areas) in the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. All individuals were juveniles, namely born in the year of sampling, and feathers were sampled from nest-grown molting generation (Jenni and Winkler 1994). Hence, isotopic values of each individual is related to the diet that parents brought it. We classified species according to the type of habitat used during breeding season (open lands -grasslands, wetlands-, open woodlands and forests), the migratory phenology (trans-Saharan, intra-Palearctic, irruptive species) and the feeding habits of species (strictly insectivorous -mainly adult insects, strictly insectivorous -mainly larvae-, granivorous, omnivorous -insects and seeds-) (del Hoyo et al. 2004-2011). Here a preliminary graphic overview of the obtained results is shown.

Trophic Ecology of Migratory Birds as Shown by Stable Isotopes (δ13C, δ 15N, δ 34S)

FRANZOI, ALESSANDRO;
2016-01-01

Abstract

In the last thirty years, animal trophic ecology has been increasingly studied using stable isotope ratios approach (Boecklen et al. 2011). Generally, ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotopes have been used to reconstruct food chains and describe trophic niches of animals inside ecosystems (Post 2002, McCutchan et al. 2003, Bearhop et al. 2004). Moreover, isotopic ratios in animal tissues ultimately reflect diet, and the isotopic composition of diet reflects biogeochemical characteristics of growth environments/habitats. Finally, the isotopic signature of environment may show spatial pattern, both at local and continental scale (Hobson 2005, West et al. 2010). Thus, isotopic variability of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur among different species is related to species physiology and trophic niche, depending on isotopic landscape in which tissues have been grown (Hobson and Wassenaar 2008). In this study, we measured carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios in feathers of 48 species of European Passerines. More than 800 birds were captured and banded in a ringing station set on an alpine pass in Trentino province (‘Bocca di Caset’, Progetto Alpi, Pedrini et al. 2008, 2012) during post-breeding migration (August-October, migration from northern breeding quartiers to southern wintering areas) in the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. All individuals were juveniles, namely born in the year of sampling, and feathers were sampled from nest-grown molting generation (Jenni and Winkler 1994). Hence, isotopic values of each individual is related to the diet that parents brought it. We classified species according to the type of habitat used during breeding season (open lands -grasslands, wetlands-, open woodlands and forests), the migratory phenology (trans-Saharan, intra-Palearctic, irruptive species) and the feeding habits of species (strictly insectivorous -mainly adult insects, strictly insectivorous -mainly larvae-, granivorous, omnivorous -insects and seeds-) (del Hoyo et al. 2004-2011). Here a preliminary graphic overview of the obtained results is shown.
2016
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11571/1184086
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