Animal /sup 13/C//sup 12/C correlates with trophic level in pelagic food webs

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983 · Ecology; (United States)

OSTI ID:5707994

Rau, G H; Mearns, A J; Young, D R; Olson, R J; Schafer, H A; Kaplan, I R

Whatever the underlying cause(s), our observations further substantiate the existence of small but progressive increases in animal tissue /sup 13/C//sup 12/C with increasing trophic level. Such a relationship has significant implications for the use of stable carbon isotope natural abundance in animal tissues or remains, in order to interpret the tropic structure and food base of past as well as present-day animal communities. The delta/sup 13/C of the marine animal tissues analyzed ranged from -20.6 to -15.8%. The macro-fauna from the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean had higher isotope values than the net plankton collected from the same area. The average increases in delta/sup 13/C per trophic level were 0.73 and 1.38% for the California coastal waters and for the eastern tropical Pacific, respectively. These isotopic increases approximate closely those previously reported to occur within single trophic level steps.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 5707994
• Journal Information: Ecology; (United States), Vol. 64:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FOOD CHAINS
CARBON 12
CARBON 13
ISOTOPE RATIO
CETACEANS
FISHES
MOLLUSCS
PLANKTON
TUNA
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
CARBON ISOTOPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
INVERTEBRATES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MAMMALS
NUCLEI
STABLE ISOTOPES
VERTEBRATES
520100* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (-1989)