Análisis isotópico en plumas del Charrán mínimo (Sternula antillarum) para inferir su ecología trófica

Isotope analysis in feathers of the Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) to infer its trophic ecology

Andehui Danay Morales Flores (2024, [Tesis de maestría])

El análisis isotópico de plumas primarias utilizando las razones isotópicas δ13C y δ15N permitió estimar la amplitud y superposición del nicho trófico de los conjuntos de las colonias reproductivas de adultos y volantones del charrán mínimo. Se infirió la amplitud del nicho por medio del área de la elipse estándar estimada por métodos Bayesianos (SEAB), se encontró que existen diferencias entre el nicho trófico de adultos y volantones, pues los adultos tienen valores de la media SEAB de 16.3‰2 hasta 28.4‰2 y los volantones de 44.8‰2 hasta 75.5‰2, esto podría ser debido a diferencias en cuanto a las presas seleccionadas y la ubicación geográfica de los adultos durante la muda de las primarias. Por otro lado, la superposición del nicho indicó la similitud entre los adultos de diferentes colonias, por lo cual, se consideró que los adultos de algunas colonias podrían compartir un sitio de invernada o bien la temporalidad en la muda de las primarias. Además, se cumplió con el objetivo de caracterizar la variabilidad de las firmas isotópicas de carbono y nitrógeno durante el crecimiento secuencial de las plumas primarias por medio de los modelos aditivos generalizados y se observó la variabilidad entre las primarias utilizando las anomalías respecto a la media local de cada colonia, lo cual permitió diferenciar estrategias de alimentación específicas para ciertos conjuntos y la variabilidad en la dieta. La búsqueda bibliográfica de los sitios potenciales de migración en invierno más los mapas de gradientes isotópicos de δ13C permitió determinar que el Océano Pacífico Oriental Tropical es la región geográfica relacionada con la distribución δ13C en plumas primarias del charrán mínimo y es el sitio más probable de invernada.

The isotopic analysis of primary feathers using the isotopic ratios of δ13C and δ15N allowed the estimation of the breadth and overlap of the trophic niche of adult and fledgling least terns. Niche breadth was inferred through the standard ellipse area (SEAB) estimated by Bayesian methods. We found differences between the trophic niche of adults and fledglings, as adults presented mean SEAB values from 16.3‰2 to 28.4‰2 and fledglings from 44.8‰2 to 75.5‰2. This could be due to differences in the prey selected and the geographical location of the adults during the molt of the primaries. The overlap of these values among adults indicates similarity in prey selection and location between the adults of different colonies. Therefore, it was considered that the adults of some colonies could share a wintering site during the period of molt of the primary feathers. We characterized the variability of carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures during the sequential growth of primary feathers through generalized additive models and the variability between primaries using the anomalies of these signatures and the local mean for each colony. This allowed us to differentiate specific feeding strategies of individual least terns and the variability in their diet. The bibliographic search for potential migration and wintering sites found published maps of δ13C isotopic gradients in the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean that correspond to the δ13C distribution in primary feathers of the least tern, indicating a potential wintering area for this species.

isótopos, carbono, nitrógeno, ave marina, ecología trófica isotopes, seabird, nitrogen, carbon, trophic ecology BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL (BOTÁNICA) ECOLOGÍA VEGETAL ECOLOGÍA VEGETAL

Vibrissa growth rate in California sea lions based on environmental and isotopic oscillations

MARTHA PATRICIA ROSAS HERNANDEZ (2018, [Artículo])

Pinniped vibrissae provide information on changes in diet at seasonal and annual scales; however, species-specific growth patterns must first be determined in order to interpret these data. In this study, a simple linear model was used to estimate the growth rate of vibrissae from adult female California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) from San Esteban Island in the Gulf of California, Mexico. The δ15N and δ13C values do not display a marked oscillatory pattern that would permit direct determination of the time period contained in each vibrissa; thus, time (age) was calculated in two ways: 1) based on the correlation between the observed number of peaks (Fourier series) in the δ15N profile and the length of each vibrissa, and 2) through direct comparison with the observed number of peaks in the δ15N profile. Cross-correlation confirmed that the two peaks in the δ15N profile reflected the two peaks in the chlorophyll-a concentration recorded annually around the island. The mean growth rate obtained from the correlation was 0.08 ± 0.01 mm d-1, while that calculated based on the observed number of peaks was 0.10 ± 0.05 mm d-1. Both are consistent with the rates reported for adult females of other otariid species (0.07 to 0.11 mm d-1). Vibrissa growth rates vary by individual, age, sex, and species; moreover, small differences in the growth rate can result in significant differences over the time periods represented by the isotopic signal. Thus, it is important to assess this parameter on a species-by-species basis. © 2018 Rosas-Hernández et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

carbon, nitrogen, animal, California, chemistry, diet, female, island (geological), Mexico, Otariidae, physiology, Animals, California, Carbon Isotopes, Diet, Female, Islands, Mexico, Nitrogen Isotopes, Sea Lions CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA Y DEL ESPACIO OCEANOGRAFÍA OCEANOGRAFÍA

Vibrissa growth rate in California sea lions based on environmental and isotopic oscillations

MARTHA PATRICIA ROSAS HERNANDEZ (2018, [Artículo])

Pinniped vibrissae provide information on changes in diet at seasonal and annual scales; however, species-specific growth patterns must first be determined in order to interpret these data. In this study, a simple linear model was used to estimate the growth rate of vibrissae from adult female California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) from San Esteban Island in the Gulf of California, Mexico. The δ15N and δ13C values do not display a marked oscillatory pattern that would permit direct determination of the time period contained in each vibrissa; thus, time (age) was calculated in two ways: 1) based on the correlation between the observed number of peaks (Fourier series) in the δ15N profile and the length of each vibrissa, and 2) through direct comparison with the observed number of peaks in the δ15N profile. Cross-correlation confirmed that the two peaks in the δ15N profile reflected the two peaks in the chlorophyll-a concentration recorded annually around the island. The mean growth rate obtained from the correlation was 0.08 ± 0.01 mm d-1, while that calculated based on the observed number of peaks was 0.10 ± 0.05 mm d-1. Both are consistent with the rates reported for adult females of other otariid species (0.07 to 0.11 mm d-1). Vibrissa growth rates vary by individual, age, sex, and species; moreover, small differences in the growth rate can result in significant differences over the time periods represented by the isotopic signal. Thus, it is important to assess this parameter on a species-by-species basis. © 2018 Rosas-Hernández et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

carbon, nitrogen, animal, California, chemistry, diet, female, island (geological), Mexico, Otariidae, physiology, Animals, California, Carbon Isotopes, Diet, Female, Islands, Mexico, Nitrogen Isotopes, Sea Lions BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA INMUNOLOGÍA INMUNOLOGÍA