Title
Stable isotope ecology in the Ituri Forest
Author(s)
Cerling T.E., Hart J.A., Hart T.B.
Published
2004
Publisher
Oecologia
Abstract
The Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) is an example of a closed canopy forest showing extreme depletion in 13C. d13C values for plants from the canopy top, from gaps in the canopy, and from the subcanopy average -29.0±1.7‰, -30.4±0.9‰, and -34.0±1.5‰, respectively. The d13C of forest mammals show these differences, with the subcanopy browsers (okapi, dwarf antelope) having d13C values for tooth enamel much more negative than subcanopy frugivores who derive their food from the canopy top, and from folivores and omnivores living in gap or clearing areas. Nitrogen isotopes in plants from this ecosystem have an average d15N value of 5.4±1.8‰ and do not show significant differences at the 95% confidence interval between plants from the canopy top, from gaps in the canopy, and from the subcanopy. The d 18 OSMOW values of surface waters in the study area are between -2.0 and -2.7. The d18OPDB for tooth enamel ranged from -3 to +7‰.
Keywords
carbon; carbon isotope; diet; forest ecosystem; plant-herbivore interaction; stable isotope; animal; article; Democratic Republic Congo; diet; ecology; environmental monitoring; food chain; mammal; tree; Animals; Carbon Isotopes; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Diet; Ecology; Environmental Monitoring; Food Chain; Mammals; Trees; Africa; Central Africa; Democratic Republic Congo; Ituri Forest; Sub-Saharan Africa; Animalia; Antelope; Mammalia; Neotragus batesi; Okapia johnstoni
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PUB11196