Nitrogen isotope composition of amino acids reveals trophic partitioning in two sympatric amphipods
| Autor: | Andrius Garbaras, Agnes M. L. Karlson, Henry Holmstrand, Elena Gorokhova, Matias Ledesma |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
compound‐specific stable nitrogen isotope analyses Baltic Sea resynthesis index Niche Zoology reproductive status Biology trophic level 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences 03 medical and health sciences lcsh:QH540-549.5 Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics 030304 developmental biology Nature and Landscape Conservation Trophic level Original Research chemistry.chemical_classification 0303 health sciences amino acids Ecology δ15N Fecundity biology.organism_classification Isotopes of nitrogen Amino acid chemistry Sympatric speciation Monoporeia lcsh:Ecology |
| Zdroj: | Ecology and Evolution, Vol 10, Iss 19, Pp 10773-10784 (2020) Ecology and Evolution |
| ISSN: | 2045-7758 |
| Popis: | According to ecological theory, two species cannot occupy the same niche. Using nitrogen isotope analyses (δ15N) of amino acids, we tested the extent to which two sympatric deposit‐feeding amphipods, Monoporeia affinis and Pontoporeia femorata, partition their trophic resources. We found that trophic position (TP) and resynthesis index (∑V; a proxy for degradation status of ingested material prior to assimilation by the consumer) differ between species. The surface‐feeding M. affinis had higher TP and intermediate ∑V, both pointing to a large contribution of metazoans in its diet. P. femorata, which feeds in the subsurface layers, had lower TP and a bimodal distribution of the ∑V values, supporting previous experimental evidence of a larger feeding niche. We also evaluated whether TP and ∑V values have consequences for amphipod fecundity and embryo viability and found that embryo viability in M. affinis was negatively linked to TP. Our results indicate that the amino acid‐δ15N data paired with information about reproductive status are useful for detecting differences in the trophic ecology of sympatric amphipods. This is a field study on niche partitioning in sympatric amphipods using the amino acid nitrogen‐isotope method. Fecundity and embryo viability were measured for each individual analyzed for isotopes, meaning that ecological and physiological causes behind observed patterns could be tested and discussed in a unique way. We demonstrate that the amino acid method was useful in detecting differences in trophic ecology between two deposit‐feeding species, but that it is crucial to include measurements of physiological status when interpreting nitrogen isotope data in amino acids of consumers. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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