Difference of ecological half-life and transfer coefficient in aquatic invertebrates between high and low radiocesium contaminated streams

The Fukushima accident emitted radioactive substances into the environment, contaminating litter, algae, sand substrate, aquatic invertebrates, and fish in freshwater streams. Because these substances have substantial effects on stream ecology over many years, it is necessary to clarify the diffusion and decay mechanisms of radiocesium. The transfer coefficient differed among aquatic invertebrate groups, likely due to the differences in habitat. The ecological half-life of cesium was longer where the air dose rate was lower. The transfer coefficient was also higher in areas with lower air dose rate. The radiocesium concentration in algae was inversely related to stream current velocity in the radiocesium-contaminated area. However, this relationship was not observed in the lower air dose rate area: the radiocesium concentration in algae in the rapid-velocity areas tended to be higher than that in the slow-velocity areas. This reverse trend would lead to a longer period of freshwater contamination. The radiocesium concentration would continue to decrease in highly contaminated areas, but it would be difficult to reduce the radiocesium concentration in less-contaminated areas because different contamination mechanisms are at work. Controlling the water flow is key to regulating radiocesium concentration in freshwater ecosystems.

The impact of Great Cormorants on biogenic pollution of land ecosystems: Stable isotope signatures in small mammals

Studying the isotopic composition of the hair of two rodent species trapped in the territories of Great Cormorant colonies, we aimed to show that Great Cormorants transfer biogens from aquatic ecosystems to terrestrial ecosystems, and that these substances reach small mammals through the trophic cascade, thus influencing the nutrient balance in the terrestrial ecosystem. Analysis of δ(13)C and δ(15)N was performed on two dominant species of small mammals, Apodemus flavicollis and Myodes glareolus, inhabiting the territories of the colonies. For both species, the values of δ(13)C and δ(15)N were higher in the animals trapped in the territories of the colonies than those in control territories. In the hair of A. flavicollis and M. glareolus, the highest values of δ(15)N (16.31±3.01‰ and 17.86±2.76‰, respectively) were determined in those animals trapped in the biggest Great Cormorant colony. δ(15)N values were age dependent, highest in adult A. flavicollis and M. glareolus and lowest in juvenile animals. For δ(13)C values, age-dependent differences were not registered. δ(15)N values in both small mammal species from the biggest Great Cormorant colony show direct dependence on the intensity of influence. Biogenic pollution is at its strongest in the territories of the colonies with nests, significantly diminishing in the ecotones of the colonies and further in the control zones, where the influence of birds is negligible. Thus, Great Cormorant colonies alter ecosystem functioning by enrichment with biogens, with stable isotope values in small mammals significantly higher in the affected territories.

The effects of sex, tissue type, and dietary components on stable isotope discrimination factors (Δ13C and Δ15N) in mammalian omnivores

We tested the effects of sex, tissue, and diet on stable isotope discrimination factors (Δ(13)C and Δ(15)N) for six tissues from rats fed four diets with varied C and N sources, but comparable protein quality and quantity. The Δ(13)C and Δ(15)N values ranged from 1.7-4.1‰ and 0.4-4.3‰, respectively. Females had higher Δ(15)N values than males because males grew larger, whereas Δ(13)C values did not differ between sexes. Differences in Δ(13)C values among tissue types increased with increasing variability in dietary carbon sources. The Δ(15)N values increased with increasing dietary δ(15)N values for all tissues except liver and serum, which have fast stable isotope turnover times, and differences in Δ(15)N values among tissue types decreased with increasing dietary animal protein. Our results demonstrate that variability in dietary sources can affect Δ(13)C values, protein source affects Δ(15)N values even when protein quality and quantity are controlled, and the isotope turnover rate of a tissue can influence the degree to which diet affects Δ(15)N values.

Plasma nitrogen isotopic fractionation and feed efficiency in growing beef heifers

Fractionation of N isotopes occurs in many metabolic reactions which causes tissue proteins to become enriched in ¹⁵N while urea (urine) is depleted in ¹⁵N relative to the diet. We investigated ¹⁵N enrichment of whole plasma and its relationship with feed conversion efficiency (FCE) in growing beef heifers (n 84) offered 2 kg/d of concentrates with grass silage ad libitum. Heifers were on average 299 (SD 48·3) d old and weighed 311 (SD 48·8) kg. Plasma was obtained on day 79 (n 84) of the experiment and from a subset of animals (n 20) on four occasions between days 16 and 79. Silage DM intake (DMI) averaged 4·1 (SD 0·74) kg/d and concentrate DMI was 1·72 kg/d. Mean mid-test live weight was 333 (SD 47·6) kg, daily gain was 0·53 (SD 0·183) kg, FCE (g live-weight gain/g DMI) was 0·09 (SD 0·028) and residual feed intake (RFI) was 0 (SD 0·428). N isotopic fractionation (Δ¹⁵N; plasma δ¹⁵N - diet δ¹⁵N) averaged 3·58 ‰ on day 79 (n 84) and 3·90 ‰ for the subset of heifers. There was no relationship between Δ¹⁵N and RFI. Plasma δ¹⁵N and Δ¹⁵N were related to both FCE (negative) and animal weight (positive) for the whole population, and repeatable for the subset of animals over four time points. These relationships of Δ¹⁵N with FCE and animal weight are consistent with the anticipated negative relationship with N-use efficiency. There is potential to use Δ¹⁵N to provide rapid, low-cost estimates of FCE in cattle.

Unusual patterns in ¹⁵N blood values after a diet switch in red knot shorebirds

When a diet switch results in a change in dietary isotopic values, isotope ratios of the consumer's tissues will change until a new equilibrium is reached. This change is generally best described by an exponential decay curve. Indeed, after a diet switch in captive red knot shorebirds (Calidris canutus islandica), the depletion of (13)C in both blood cells and plasma followed an exponential decay curve. Surprisingly, the diet switch with a dietary (15)N/(14)N ratio (δ(15)N) change from 11.4 to 8.8 ‰ had little effect on δ(15)N in the same tissues. The diet-plasma and diet-cellular discrimination factors of (15)N with the initial diet were very low (0.5 and 0.2 ‰, respectively). δ(15)N in blood cells and plasma decreased linearly with increasing body mass, explaining about 40 % of the variation in δ(15)N. δ(15)N in plasma also decreased with increasing body-mass change (r (2)=.07). This suggests that the unusual variation in δ(15)N with time after the diet switch was due to interferences with simultaneous changes in body-protein turnover.

Agricultural land use alters trophic status and population density of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) on the North American Great Plains

Habitat conversion is among the most important causes of environmental change worldwide, yet relatively little is known about its potential influence on trophic interactions. We investigated the effects of agricultural land use on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values, trophic status, population density, and body condition of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845)) in a grassland ecosystem. Muscle δ15N (cropland = 7.6‰ ± 1.3‰; hay fields = 7.9‰ ± 1.3‰; native prairie = 7.2‰ ± 2.1‰) from deer mice did not vary with land use despite baseline soil and vegetation δ15N differences. Enrichment of deer mice over vegetation (Δδ15N) was, on average, a full trophic level (~2.5‰) higher on native prairie (6.4‰ ± 1.6‰) than on cropland (3.9‰ ± 2.3‰), and intermediate in hay fields (5.9‰ ± 2.0‰). Relative density of deer mice was more than twofold higher in crop and hay fields compared with native prairie, but body condition did not vary with land use. Our results suggest that agricultural activity caused a shift in the trophic level and relative abundance of a generalist grassland omnivore. Soil and vegetation δ15N reflected anthropogenic N inputs to agricultural fields but were not useful as general markers of habitat use in this study.