The potential uses of stable isotopes in ecological studies
seem virtually unlimited. In this Spotlight we have focused on studies
that are attempting to understand the linkages between breeding, wintering,
and stopover sites for neotropical migratory shorebirds, an undertaking
that is critical to conservation efforts for these species. In addition,
FORT is conducting other ongoing studies that apply stable isotope analysis
to a variety of ecological problems. For example, stable isotope technology
is being used to link seasonal habitats of the Mountain Plover (Fritz
Knopf), a short-distance migrant; track transcontinental movements
of migratory bats
(Paul Cryan); examine the historic feeding
ecology of the White-tailed Kite (Rey Stendell); and examine the trophic
ecology of introduced crayfish on native fishes in Arizona streams (Jeanette
Carpenter). The use of isotopic analysis may enable scientists from
the U.S. and other countries to identify the important migratory links
for better management of migratory species, and to develop protocols for
applying stable isotope analysis to future ecological studies.
Stable
isotopes: Providing answers to the tough questions
Isotopes
Link Birds to Breeding and Moulting Areas
Western
Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (U.S.)
Western
Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (Environment Canada)
USGS North American Bird Conservation
Initiative (NABCI)
Partners in Flight
United States Shorebird Conservation
Plan
Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation
Chamberlain, C.P., J.D. Blum, R.T. Holmes, X. Feng, T.W. Sherry, and G.R. Graves. 1997. The use of isotope tracers for identifying populations of migratory birds. Oecologia 109:132-141.
Hobson, K.A. 1999. Tracing origins and migration of wildlife using stable isotopes: A review. Oecologia 120:314-326.
Hobson, K.A., and L.I. Wassenaar. 1997. Linking breeding and wintering grounds of neotropical migrant songbirds using stable hydrogen isotopic analysis of feathers. Oecologia 109:142-148.
Hobson, K.A., L.I. Wassenaar, and O.R. Taylor. 1999. Stable isotopes (delta D and delta 13C) are geographic indicators of natal origins of monarch butterflies in eastern North America. Oecologia 120:397-404.
Marra, P.P., K.A. Hobson, and R.T. Holmes. 1998. Linking
winter and summer events in a migratory bird by using stable-carbon isotopes.
Science 282:1834-1836.
Wassenaar, L.I., and K.A. Hobson. 1998. Natal origins of migratory monarch
butterflies at wintering colonies in Mexico: New isotopic evidence. Proceedings
of the National Academy of Science 95:15436-15439.
Wassenaar, L.I., and K.A. Hobson. 2000. Stable-carbon and
hydrogen isotope ratios reveal breeding origins of red-winged blackbirds.
Ecological Applications 10(3):911-916.
Wassenaar, L.I., and K.A. Hobson. 2001. A stable-isotope approach to delineate
geographical catchment areas of avian migration monitoring stations in
North America. Environmental Science & Technology 35(9):1845-1850.
Craig, H., and L.I. Gordon. 1965. Deuterium and oxygen 18 variations in the ocean and the marine atmosphere. In E. Tongiori, ed. Proceedings: Stable isotopes in oceanographic studies and paleotemperatures. Conferences in nuclear geology. Consiglio Nazionale Delle Richerche Laboratorio di Geologia Nucleare, Pisa, Italy.
Gat, J.R. 1996. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in the hydrologic cycle. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 24:225-262.
Brown, S., C. Hickey, B. Harrington, and R. Gill, eds. 2001. The United States Shorebird Conservation Plan, 2nd ed. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Manomet, MA.
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.fort.usgs.gov/resources/spotlight/shorebird_isotopes/isotopes_relaresources.asp
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