Download or read book Applications of Stable Isotope Analysis to Advancing the Understanding of Brown Bear Dietary Ecology written by Matthew C. Rogers and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dietary ecology is one of the most important drivers of brown bear fitness at the individual and population levels. However, researchers do not have an in-depth understanding of the trophic niche breadth, diet composition, and seasonal diet variation for most Alaskan populations. I set out to better understand multiple facets of brown bear dietary ecology using stable isotope analysis (13C & 15N) as the primary tool to infer brown bear diet and gain insights into their trophic niche, dietary seasonality, dietary generalism and specialism, and isotopic trophic discrimination factors. I determined that using sectioned hair samples is the best practice for determining the isotopic trophic niche of brown bears. Additionally, I determined amino acid trophic discrimination factors for brown bears and explored the ability to separate salmon species in bear diets. I also used stable isotope mixing models with sectioned hair samples to infer seasonal dietary patterns of individual bears in five distinct Alaskan ecosystems. Approximately one-quarter of bears relied solely on vegetation over multiple years despite access to other sources of nutrition; these bears could be considered specialists. Other bears, approximately half, switched diets seasonally but had the same pattern of resource use year over year, a foraging class that I termed persistent seasonal generalism. Approximately one-quarter of bears did not have a persistent dietary pattern across years and could be considered true generalists. Most bears appear to have preferred dietary patterns that are persistent through time, which may be indicative of foraging inertia; maintaining foraging patterns even when faced with changing resource availability due to natural fluctuations, disturbance, or climate change. The sum of this work advances our understanding of brown bear dietary ecology from the individual seasonal level to population level degrees of generalism and specialism, and the methods developed can be applied to many species for which dietary ecology information is difficult to obtain.

Download or read book Stable Isotope Ecology written by Brian Fry and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-01-15 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A solid introduction to stable isotopes that can also be used as an instructive review for more experienced researchers and professionals. The book approaches the use of isotopes from the perspective of ecological and biological research, but its concepts can be applied within other disciplines. A novel, step-by-step spreadsheet modeling approach is also presented for circulating tracers in any ecological system, including any favorite system an ecologist might dream up while sitting at a computer. The author’s humorous and lighthearted style painlessly imparts the principles of isotope ecology. The online material contains color illustrations, spreadsheet models, technical appendices, and problems and answers.

Download or read book Foraging Ecology of Brown Bears in the Mackenzie Delta Region NWT written by Oliver Emerson Barker and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Mackenzie Delta region, NWT, has a short growing season and highly seasonal climate, and brown bears (Ursus arctos) there face many challenges obtaining their nutritional requirements. Consumption of meat by brown bears is linked to increases in population density, fecundity, growth and body size. I examined the use of Arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii), and broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus) as meat sources by Mackenzie Delta brown bears. As a preliminary step, I built an Arctic ground squirrel habitat model, using field-surveyed ground squirrel burrow locations. Using this model, I examined bears' selection for Arctic ground squirrel habitat as a population, by sex and as individuals, and linked this to results of stable isotope analysis and site investigations. Bears showed little evidence of Arctic ground squirrel use at the population and sex level, but some individual bears appeared to prey heavily on ground squirrels, particularly during hyperphagia. I also described observations of a brown bear using broad whitefish in autumn, and used telemetry locations to show that other bears may also feed heavily on broad whitefish during hyperphagia. My research provides prey-specific evidence for intrapopulation niche variation among Mackenzie Delta brown bears.

Download or read book Compound specific Stable Isotope Analysis written by Maik A Jochmann and published by Royal Society of Chemistry. This book was released on 2015-11-09 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The use of Compound-specific Stable Isotope Analysis (CSIA) is increasing in many areas of science and technology for source allocation, authentication, and characterization of transformation reactions. Until now, there have been no textbooks available for students with an analytical chemical background or basic introductory books emphasising the instrumentation and theory. This book is the first to focus solely on stable isotope analysis of individual compounds in sometimes complex mixtures. It acts as both a lecture companion for students and a consultant for advanced scientists in fields including forensic and environmental science. The book starts with a brief history of the field before going on to explain stable isotopes from scratch. The different ways to express isotope abundances are introduced together with isotope effects and isotopic fractionation. A detailed account of the required technical equipment and general procedures for CSIA is provided. This includes sections on derivatization and the use of microextraction techniques in GC-IRMS. The very important topic of referencing and calibration in CSIA is clearly described. This differs from approaches used in quantitative analysis and is often difficult for the newcomer to comprehend. Examples of successful applications of CSIA in food authenticity, forensics, archaeology, doping control, environmental science, and extraterrestrial materials are included. Applications in isotope data treatment and presentation are also discussed and emphasis is placed on the general conclusions that can be drawn from the uses of CSIA. Further instrumental developments in the field are highlighted and selected experiments are introduced that may act as a basis for a short practical course at graduate level.

Download or read book An Experimental Exploration of the Use of Hydrogen and Oxygen Stable Isotopes in Animal Ecology written by Nathan Wolf and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Stable Isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Science written by Robert Michener and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-04-15 with total page 592 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book highlights new and emerging uses of stable isotope analysis in a variety of ecological disciplines. While the use of natural abundance isotopes in ecological research is now relatively standard, new techniques and ways of interpreting patterns are developing rapidly. The second edition of this book provides a thorough, up-to-date examination of these methods of research. As part of the Ecological Methods and Concepts series which provides the latest information on experimental techniques in ecology, this book looks at a wide range of techniques that use natural abundance isotopes to: follow whole ecosystem element cycling understand processes of soil organic matter formation follow the movement of water in whole watersheds understand the effects of pollution in both terrestrial and aquatic environments study extreme systems such as hydrothermal vents follow migrating organisms In each case, the book explains the background to the methodology, looks at the underlying principles and assumptions, and outlines the potential limitations and pitfalls. Stable Isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Science is an ideal resource for both ecologists who are new to isotopic analysis, and more experienced isotope ecologists interested in innovative techniques and pioneering new uses.

Download or read book Conservation Paleobiology written by Gregory P. Dietl and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2017-11-17 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In conservation, perhaps no better example exists of the past informing the present than the return of the California condor to the Vermilion Cliffs of Arizona. Extinct in the region for nearly one hundred years, condors were successfully reintroduced starting in the 1990s in an effort informed by the fossil record—condor skeletal remains had been found in the area’s late-Pleistocene cave deposits. The potential benefits of applying such data to conservation initiatives are unquestionably great, yet integrating the relevant disciplines has proven challenging. Conservation Paleobiology gathers a remarkable array of scientists—from Jeremy B. C. Jackson to Geerat J. Vermeij—to provide an authoritative overview of how paleobiology can inform both the management of threatened species and larger conservation decisions. Studying endangered species is difficult. They are by definition rare, some exist only in captivity, and for those still in their native habitats any experimentation can potentially have a negative effect on survival. Moreover, a lack of long-term data makes it challenging to anticipate biotic responses to environmental conditions that are outside of our immediate experience. But in the fossil and prefossil records—from natural accumulations such as reefs, shell beds, and caves to human-made deposits like kitchen middens and archaeological sites—enlightening parallels to the Anthropocene can be found that might serve as a primer for present-day predicaments. Offering both deep-time and near-time perspectives and exploring a range of ecological and evolutionary dynamics and taxa from terrestrial as well as aquatic habitats, Conservation Paleobiology is a sterling demonstration of how the past can be used to manage for the future, giving new hope for the creation and implementation of successful conservation programs.

Download or read book Yellowstone Grizzly Bears written by Daniel D. Bjornlie and published by National Park Service Yellowstone National Park. This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Stable Isotopes as Indicators of Ecological Change written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2011-09-21 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 20th century has experienced environmental changes that appear to be unprecedented in their rate and magnitude during the Earth’s history. For the first time, Stable Isotopes as Indicators of Ecological Change brings together a wide range of perspectives and data that speak directly to the issues of ecological change using stable isotope tracers. The information presented originates from a range of biological and geochemical sources and from research fields within biological, climatological and physical disciplines covering time-scales from days to centuries. Unlike any other reference, editors discuss where isotope data can detect, record, trace and help to interpret environmental change. Provides researchers with groundbreaking data on how to predict the terrestrial ecosystems response to the ongoing rapid alterations Reveals how ecosystems have responded to environmental and biotic fluctuations in the past Includes examples from research by a wide range of biological and physical scientists who are using isotopic records to both detect and interpret environmental change

Download or read book Root Ecology written by Hans de Kroon and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2003-05-21 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the course of evolution, a great variety of root systems have learned to overcome the many physical, biochemical and biological problems brought about by soil. This development has made them a fascinating object of scientific study. This volume gives an overview of how roots have adapted to the soil environment and which roles they play in the soil ecosystem. The text describes the form and function of roots, their temporal and spatial distribution, and their turnover rate in various ecosystems. Subsequently, a physiological background is provided for basic functions, such as carbon acquisition, water and solute movement, and for their responses to three major abiotic stresses, i.e. hard soil structure, drought and flooding. The volume concludes with the interactions of roots with other organisms of the complex soil ecosystem, including symbiosis, competition, and the function of roots as a food source.

Download or read book Bears of the World written by Vincenzo Penteriani and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-11-30 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bears have fascinated people since ancient times. The relationship between bears and humans dates back thousands of years, during which time we have also competed with bears for shelter and food. In modern times, bears have come under pressure through encroachment on their habitats, climate change, and illegal trade in their body parts, including the Asian bile bear market. The IUCN lists six bears as vulnerable or endangered, and even the least concern species, such as the brown bear, are at risk of extirpation in certain countries. The poaching and international trade of these most threatened populations are prohibited, but still ongoing. Covering all bears species worldwide, this beautifully illustrated volume brings together the contributions of 200 international bear experts on the ecology, conservation status, and management of the Ursidae family. It reveals the fascinating long history of interactions between humans and bears and the threats affecting these charismatic species.

Download or read book Tracking Animal Migration with Stable Isotopes written by Keith A. Hobson and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2018-09-13 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tracking Animal Migration with Stable Isotopes, Second Edition, provides a complete introduction to new and powerful isotopic tools and applications that track animal migration, reviewing where isotope tracers fit in the modern toolbox of tracking methods. The book provides background information on a broad range of migration scenarios in terrestrial and aquatic systems and summarizes the most cutting-edge developments in the field that are revolutionizing the way migrant individuals and populations are assigned to their true origins. It allows undergraduates, graduate students and non-specialist scientists to adopt and apply isotopes to migration research, and also serves as a useful reference for scientists. The new edition thoroughly updates the information available to the reader on current applications of this technique and provides new tools for the isotopic assignment of individuals to origins, including geostatistical multi-isotope approaches and the ways in which researchers can combine isotopes with routine data in a Bayesian framework to provide best estimates of animal origins. Four new chapters include contributions on applications to the movements of terrestrial mammals, with particular emphasis on how aspects of animal physiology can influence stable isotope values. Includes an animal physiology component that is an in-depth overview of the cautions and caveats related to this technique Covers marine and aquatic isoscapes and methods to track marine organisms for researchers trying to apply isotopic tracking to animals in these environments Features state-of-the-art statistical treatments for assignment and combining diverse datasets

Download or read book Biogeochemistry of Wetlands written by K. Ramesh Reddy and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2022-09-10 with total page 926 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The globally important nature of wetland ecosystems has led to their increased protection and restoration as well as their use in engineered systems. Underpinning the beneficial functions of wetlands are a unique suite of physical, chemical, and biological processes that regulate elemental cycling in soils and the water column. This book provides an in-depth coverage of these wetland biogeochemical processes related to the cycling of macroelements including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, secondary and trace elements, and toxic organic compounds. In this synthesis, the authors combine more than 100 years of experience studying wetlands and biogeochemistry to look inside the black box of elemental transformations in wetland ecosystems. This new edition is updated throughout to include more topics and provide an integrated view of the coupled nature of biogeochemical cycles in wetland systems. The influence of the elemental cycles is discussed at a range of scales in the context of environmental change including climate, sea level rise, and water quality. Frequent examples of key methods and major case studies are also included to help the reader extend the basic theories for application in their own system. Some of the major topics discussed are: Flooded soil and sediment characteristics Aerobic-anaerobic interfaces Redox chemistry in flooded soil and sediment systems Anaerobic microbial metabolism Plant adaptations to reducing conditions Regulators of organic matter decomposition and accretion Major nutrient sources and sinks Greenhouse gas production and emission Elemental flux processes Remediation of contaminated soils and sediments Coupled C-N-P-S processes Consequences of environmental change in wetlands# The book provides the foundation for a basic understanding of key biogeochemical processes and its applications to solve real world problems. It is detailed, but also assists the reader with box inserts, artfully designed diagrams, and summary tables all supported by numerous current references. This book is an excellent resource for senior undergraduates and graduate students studying ecosystem biogeochemistry with a focus in wetlands and aquatic systems.

Download or read book Archaeology written by Mark Q Sutton and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-07-17 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Illuminating the world of archaeology. Archaeology conveys the excitement of archaeological discovery and explains how archaeologists think as they scientifically find, analyze, and interpret evidence. The main objective of this text is to provide an introduction to the broad and fascinating world of archaeology from the scientific perspective. Discussions on the theoretical aspects of archaeology, as well as the practical applications of what is learned about the past, have been updated and expanded upon in this fourth edition. Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers will be able to: Discuss the theoretical aspects of archaeology. Apply what has been learned about the past. Identify the various perspectives archaeologists have.

Download or read book Physiology of Elasmobranch Fishes Structure and Interaction with Environment written by Robert E. Shadwick and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2015-11-16 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fish Physiology: Physiology of Elasmobranch Fishes, Volume 34A is a useful reference for fish physiologists, biologists, ecologists, and conservation biologists. Following an increase in research on elasmobranchs due to the plight of sharks in today’s oceans, this volume compares elasmobranchs to other groups of fish, highlights areas of interest for future research, and offers perspective on future problems. Covering measurements and lab-and-field based studies of large pelagic sharks, this volume is a natural addition to the renowned Fish Physiology series. Provides needed comprehensive content on the physiology of elasmobranchs Offers a systems approach between structure and interaction with the environment and internal physiology Contains contributions by leading experts in their respective fields, under the guidance of internationally recognized and highly respected editors Highlights areas of interest for future research, including perspective on future problems

Download or read book Stable Isotope Techniques in the Study of Biological Processes and Functioning of Ecosystems written by M.J. Unkovich and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2001-07-31 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book has a very strong practical orientation, telling readers what methodologies are available using stable isotopes, how studies should be designed and executed to maximise effectiveness and incisiveness in terms of data obtained and outcomes in terms of understanding events and processes in plant and ecosystem functioning. The readership is very much aimed toward postgraduates with good knowledge of general biological principles and underlying chemical and physical processes. Pre-existing knowledge of or experience in application and assay of stable isotopes is not required. The stable isotope research field is one of the most rapidly growing areas of ecophysiology and techniques using stable isotopes comprise an ever increasing component of research programs of university postgraduates and a wide range of agencies conducting environmental monitoring and rehabilitation programs. The book is tailor-made for such an audience.

Download or read book Carbon Isotope Techniques written by David C. Coleman and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2012-12-02 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Carbon Isotope Techniques deals with the use of carbon isotopes in studies of plant, soil, and aquatic biology. Topics covered include photosynthesis/translocation studies in terrestrial ecosystems; carbon relationships of plant-microbial symbioses; microbe/plant/soil interactions; and environmental and aquatic toxicology. Stable carbon isotope ratios of natural materials are also considered. Comprised of 15 chapters, this book begins with an introduction to radiation-counting instruments used in measuring the radioactivity in soil and plant samples containing carbon-14. The discussion then turns to the basic methods of 14C use in plant science, highlighted by three examples of applications in the field of plant physiology and ecology. Subsequent chapters explore the use of carbon isotope techniques for analyzing the carbon relationships of plant-microbial symbioses; the interactions of microbes, plants, and soils; and the degradation of herbicides and organic xenobiotics. Carbon dating and bomb carbon are also described. The final section is devoted to the uses and procedures for 13C and 11C. This monograph is intended for advanced undergraduate or graduate students, as well as generalist scientists who have not previously used radioisotopes or stable isotopes in their research.