Fine-scale variation in natural nitrogen isotope ratios of ants

verfasst von

Adam L. Cronin, Oliver Donnerhack, Felix Seidel, Toshiro Yamanaka

Abstract

Stable isotopes provide a powerful means of elucidating the trophic ecology of organisms. Analyses of variation in the ratio of nitrogen isotopes (δ¹⁵N) can provide insights into the trophic position of species with broad diets and the ability to occupy multiple positions in food webs, such as ants. The most powerful studies compare subjects across various spatial scales, but to do so, local variation in δ¹⁵N baselines must be taken into account. To date, a wide variety of baseline calibration methods have been employed, leading some authors to suggest that a standard approach is needed, and that the reality of environmental variation necessitates that this should be at fine scales. In this study, we examine the fine-scale variation in δ¹⁵N value of colonies of the ant Formica kozlovi Dlussky (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicini) along a sloped transect in Mongolia, and compare these with values for associated soils in an effort to shed further light on this issue. We find variation in ant δ¹⁵N to the order of one trophic level (ca. 3‰), over a distance of only 1 km. Ant δ¹⁵N was highly correlated with soil δ¹⁵N, and variation in mineral soil δ¹⁵N explained ca. 81% of the variation in ant δ¹⁵N. This study underlines the importance of local-scale baseline corrections for isotopic studies, particularly in environments where baseline variation might be expected. It further suggests that δ¹⁵N of mineral soils may provide a suitable baseline for ecological studies of terrestrial arthropods.

Organisationseinheit(en)

Institut für Bodenkunde
AG Bodenchemie

Externe Organisation(en)

Iwate University
Okayama University

Typ

Artikel

Journal

Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata

Band

157

Seiten

354-359

Anzahl der Seiten

6

ISSN

0013-8703

Publikationsdatum

01.12.2015

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Ökologie, Evolution, Verhaltenswissenschaften und Systematik, Insektenkunde

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

SDG 15 – Lebensraum Land

Elektronische Version(en)

https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12370 (Zugang: Unbekannt)