title: Applying stable isotopes to examine food-web structure: an overview of analytical tools.
abstract: Stable isotope analysis has emerged as one of the primary means for examining the structure and dynamics of food webs, and numerous analytical approaches are now commonly used in the field. Techniques range from simple, qualitative inferences based on the isotopic niche, to Bayesian mixing models that can be used to characterize food-web structure at multiple hierarchical levels. We provide a comprehensive review of these techniques, and thus a single reference source to help identify the most useful approaches to apply to a given data set. We structure the review around four general questions: (1) what is the trophic position of an organism in a food web?; (2) which resource pools support consumers?; (3) what additional information does relative position of consumers in isotopic space reveal about food-web structure?; and (4) what is the degree of trophic variability at the intrapopulation level? For each general question, we detail different approaches that have been applied, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each. We conclude with a set of suggestions that transcend individual analytical approaches, and provide guidance for future applications in the field.
authors: Marine Sciences Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA. cal1634@yahoo.com
authors: Craig A
authors: CA
authors: Layman
authors: Marcio S
authors: MS
authors: Araujo
authors: Ross
authors: R
authors: Boucek
authors: Caroline M
authors: CM
authors: Hammerschlag-Peyer
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Harrison
authors: Zachary R
authors: ZR
authors: Jud
authors: Philip
authors: P
authors: Matich
authors: Adam E
authors: AE
authors: Rosenblatt
authors: Jeremy J
authors: JJ
authors: Vaudo
authors: Lauren A
authors: LA
authors: Yeager
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Post
authors: Stuart
authors: S
authors: Bearhop
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D020387:Food Chain; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D010944:Plants
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes