Patterns of δ^(13) C and δ^(15) N in wolverine Gulo gulo tissues from the Brooks Range,Alaska  

作　　者：Fredrik DALERUM Anders ANGERBJRN Kyran KUNKEL Brad S.SHULTS 

机构地区：[1]Mammal Research Institute,Department of Zoology and Entomology,University of Pretoria [2]Centre for Wildlife Management,University of Pretoria [3].Department of Zoology,Stockholm University [4]U.S.National Park Service,Western Arctic National Parklands,P.O.Box 1029 Kotzebue [5]Present address:World Wildlife Fund,Gallatin Gateway

出　　处：《Current Zoology》2009年第3期188-192,共5页动物学报（英文版）

基　　金：support fromthe U.S. National Park Service,the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Siléns Foundation;Hunters in the Kotzebue area kindly provided us with harvest materialon wolverines,caribou and moose;Dan Stevenson and the local staff at the U.S.National Park Service office in Kotzebue for logistical support;to Gene Peltola for help during aninitial stage of the Noatak wolverine project

摘　　要：Knowledge of carnivore diets is essential to understand how carnivore populations respond demographically to variations in prey abundance. Analysis of stable isotopes is a useful complement to traditional methods of analyzing carnivore diets. We used data on δ^13C and δ^15N in wolverine tissues to investigate patterns of seasonal and annual diet variation in a wolverine Gulo gulo population in the western Brooks Range, Alaska, USA. The stable isotope ratios in wolverine tissues generally reflected that of terrestrial carnivores, corroborating previous diet studies on wolverines. We also found variation in δ^13C and δ^15N both between muscle samples collected over several years and between tissues with different assimilation rates, even after correcting for isotopic fractionation. This suggests both annual and seasonal diet variation. Our results indicate that data on δ^13C and δ^15N holds promise for qualitative assessments of wolverine diet changes over time. Such temporal variation may be important indicators of ecological responses to environmental perturbations, and we suggest that more refined studies of stable isotopes may be an important tool when studying temporal change in diets of wolverines and similar carnivores [ Current Zoology 55 （3）： 188- 192, 2009].

关 键 词：Stable isotopes Nitrogen Carbon ARCTIC CARNIVORE CARIBOU 

分 类 号：Q958[生物学—动物学]