THE ISOTOPIC ECOLOGY OF VERTEBRATES: AN INTRODUCTION
I will offer an overview of the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope gradients that vertebrates sample in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. On land, carbon isotope variations are strongly controlled by differences in plant photosynthetic physiology, with higher values in C4 or arid C3 ecosystems, and lower values in more mesic C3 ecosystems. Oxygen isotopes vary with temperature (due to an association between temperature and the composition of meteoric water), with lower values in cold regions/seasons, and higher values in warmer regions/seasons. Terrestrial nitrogen isotopes are highly variable, but values tend to be higher in dry regions and lower in wet regions. In marine systems, oxygen isotopes are relatively invariant, though values are lower in brackish waters and in high-latitude surface waters. There are significant differences in food web carbon isotopes related to types of primary producer, and strong onshore/benthic vs. offshore/pelagic gradients, as well as a meridional gradient, with lower values at high latitudes. Nitrogen isotopes also show spatial variations in marine systems, including a meridional gradient and regional differences associated with nutrient availability and the extent of nitrogen fixation and denitrification.