Stable isotopes are quantitative indicators of trophic niche. (28th August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Marshall, Harry H.; Inger, Richard; Jackson, Andrew L.; McDonald, Robbie A.; Thompson, Faye J.; Cant, Michael A.
• Editors: Young, Hillary
• Is Part Of: Ecology letters. Volume 22:Number 11(2019)
• Page Start: 1990
• Page End: 1992
• Publication Date: 2019-08-28
• Subjects: Banded mongoose -- diet -- isotopic niche -- niche overlap -- stable isotopes -- tissue integration time -- trophic niche; Ecology -- Periodicals; 577
• DOI: 10.1111/ele.13374
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-023X

Abstract

Abstract: Hette‐Tronquart (2019, Ecol. Lett.) raises three concerns about our interpretation of stable isotope data in Sheppard et al . (2018, Ecol. Lett., 21, 665). We feel that these concerns are based on comparisons that are unreasonable or ignore the ecological context from which the data were collected. Stable isotope ratios provide a quantitative indication of, rather than being exactly equivalent to, trophic niche.