期刊
PLOS ONE
卷 16, 期 10, 页码 -出版社
PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258919
关键词
-
资金
- U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
- Environmental Studies Program, Washington D.C. [M15AC00012]
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Biodiversity and Ecological Forecasting Program [NNX14AR62A]
- Co-op BOEM Agreement [MC15AC00006]
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Science Foundation [OCE 1232779, OCE 1831937, OCE 1458845]
The study found that island foxes on the California Channel Islands utilize sandy beach resources to expand habitat and dietary options, with stable isotope analysis showing individual differences in diet. Abundant marine resources on coastal beaches may increase population resilience of island foxes, especially during declines in terrestrial resources due to climate variability and long-term climate change.
The coastal zone provides foraging opportunities for insular populations of terrestrial mammals, allowing for expanded habitat use, increased dietary breadth, and locally higher population densities. We examined the use of sandy beach resources by the threatened island fox (Urocyon littoralis) on the California Channel Islands using scat analysis, surveys of potential prey, beach habitat attributes, and stable isotope analysis. Consumption of beach invertebrates, primarily intertidal talitrid amphipods (Megalorchestia spp.) by island fox varied with abundance of these prey across sites. Distance-based linear modeling revealed that abundance of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) wrack, rather than beach physical attributes, explained the largest amount of variation in talitrid amphipod abundance and biomass across beaches. delta C-13 and delta N-15 values of fox whisker (vibrissae) segments suggested individualism in diet, with generally low delta C-13 and delta N-15 values of some foxes consistent with specializing on primarily terrestrial foods, contrasting with the higher isotope values of other individuals that suggested a sustained use of sandy beach resources, the importance of which varied over time. Abundant allochthonous marine resources on beaches, including inputs of giant kelp, may expand habitat use and diet breadth of the island fox, increasing population resilience during declines in terrestrial resources associated with climate variability and long-term climate change.
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