1
|
Li S, Li Y, Wang W, Jiao J, Degen AA, Zhang T, Bai Y, Zhao J, Kreuzer M, Shang Z. Dietary habits of pastoralists on the Tibetan plateau are influenced by remoteness and economic status. Food Res Int 2023; 174:113627. [PMID: 37981357 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
In general, dietary habits of pastoralists are livestock-derived, but are also influenced by external food sources under globalization. We hypothesized that dietary habits of pastoralists would be influenced by their remoteness, and that changes from the traditional diet would result in deviations in the local ecological chain. To test this hypothesis, we determined the δ13C and δ15N values of soil, plants, and hair of animals and pastoralists (n = 885). The δ13C value in human hair reflects the proportions of protein originating from C3 and C4 plants; whereas, the δ15N value reflects the proportions of protein derived from plants and animals, with higher values indicating a greater consumption of meat. The isotopic signatures enabled us to estimate the variation in dietary habits of pastoralists across a socio-economic gradient of easily accessible to remote areas on the Tibetan plateau, and to determine the trophic transfer of the isotopes along an ecological chain. The trophic magnification factor (TMF) evaluated the trophic transfer of δ15N in the soil-plants-animals-pastoralists ecological chain. The high δ15N values in soil and plants were not recovered in animals and pastoralists in easily accessible and developed areas, indicating the use of external feed and food resources, and that they deviated from the ecological chain. The mean δ13C (-22.0 ‰) and δ15N values (6.9 ‰) of pastoralists indicated diets consisting mainly of local C3 plants and animal products. However, pastoralists in remote areas relied more on meat protein and on the local ecological chain than pastoralists in easily accessible areas, as their δ15N values and trophic magnification factor of δ15N in the ecological chain were greater. In addition to remoteness, per capita GDP influenced dietary changes in pastoralists, with richer pastoralists consuming more external food. We concluded that dietary changes of pastoralists in the easily accessible areas were due to external food resources and alterations in the local ecological chain of animals and plant-based foods available to the pastoralists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
| | - Yinfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wenyin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jianxin Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - A Allan Degen
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410500, Israel
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yanfu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jingxue Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Michael Kreuzer
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Eschikon 27, 8315 Lindau, Switzerland
| | - Zhanhuan Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| |
Collapse
|