Journal
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
Volume 35, Issue 2, Pages 633-645Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s12237-011-9446-y
Keywords
Stable isotopes; Saltmarsh; SIAR; Food web; Carbon-13; Nitrogen-15
Funding
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration their National Estuarine Research Reserve System
- Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR)
- National Science Foundation [OCE-9982133]
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [RD 83222001-0]
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Conservationists need to know the degree of habitat fidelity for species of conservation concern. Stable Isotope Analysis in R quantified the contribution of terrestrial vs. saltmarsh primary production sources to terrestrial passerine food webs from four habitats of Sapelo Island, Georgia (USA), saltmarsh, maritime scrub-shrub, maritime broadleaf (oak), and maritime narrowleaf (pine) forests, using delta C-13 and delta N-15. Models suggested Northern Parula (Parula americana) in oak forests, White-eyed Vireos (Vireo griseus) in shrub, and Brown-headed Nuthatches (Sitta pusilla) in pine forests derived most of their food from habitats they occupied (53-100%). Saltmarsh provided 47-94% of Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) food sources, supporting previous findings by Springborn and Meyers (2005). Thus, Painted Bunting conservation in the Southeastern USA should focus on Springborn and Meyers' suggestion of maritime scrub-shrub habitat and forests with < 75% canopy, > 50% ground cover, and patches of shrubs that are within 700 m of saltmarsh.
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