炭素・窒素安定同位体比から見える自然界の食物連鎖 : その普遍性と持続性

Le résumé fourni par la source

The trophic fractionation of carbon and nitrogen isotopes (Δδ13C, Δδ15N) has been examined for food chains in marine and terrestrial environments. The following two features were elucidated: 1. for each ecosystem, the ratios of trophic fractionation of Δδ15N / Δδ13C throughout the food chain could be obtained as the slope of the linear regression line on the δ15N–δ13C plot, and 2. analysis of covariance revealed that the slopes on δ15N–δ13C were not significantly different among these various ecosystems, as shown in the following equation: δ15N = 1.61 δ13C + [ecosystem specific constant]. This paper discusses those factors that possibly govern the linear relationship between δ15N and δ13C along a food chain; it also examines the possibility of a new scope for stable isotope food chain analyses, while placing emphasis on the general nature of trophic fractionation and the sustainability of a food chain.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.