Stable isotope ecology (δ18O, δ13C, δ15N) of modern land snails along an altitudinal gradient in southern Appalachian Mountains, USA

摘要: Abstract The first isotopic baseline is established for the snail Neohelix from Big Santeetlah Creek watershed (Appalachian Mountains). Shell δ18O (− 3.6 to + 0.4‰) declined with altitude 0.06‰ per 100 m and correlated measured rain δ18O. A flux balance model suggests that relative humidity increased ~ 0.89 at 710 m ~ 0.91 1620 m, in agreement higher precipitation altitudes. Coherent relationships between shell, suggest this taxon should be a valid paleoprecipitation archive North America. respective δ13C δ15N values of body (− 28.3 − 23.2‰; + 0.4 + 4.9‰) shell organics (− 28.2 − 24.0‰; + 0.0 + 3.4‰) did not exhibit trend were uncorrelated potential food resources. stable isotope-mixing primarily consume fungi (~ 48%) lichen (~ 17%), minimal ingestion C3 plants. contributions different items, however, varied an unpredictable fashion along altitudinal gradient. This study illustrates even though foraging ecology woodlands complex more variable than anticipated, combining several isotope systems permits dietary inferences easily field observations alone.