Carbon and nitrogen discrimination factors of wolves and accuracy of diet inferences using stable isotope analysis

摘要: Dietary inferences using stable isotope analysis rely on comparing carbon and nitrogen content of consumer to prey tissues by modeling discrimination between these tissues. Diet–tissue factors applied in models for wild populations must be obtained from controlled feeding studies where diets are known. Species-specific lacking wolves (Canis lupus), most researchers assessing the diet free-ranging have used derived red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) fed a commercial pellet diet. We calculated diet–tissue various captive horse (Equus caballus) meat also assessed feasibility seasonal delineation through partitioning metabolically inactive such as guard hairs whiskers. Stable isotopic was highest whiskers (4.31‰), followed hair (4.25‰), lowest serum (2.21‰) blood cells (2.16‰). (4.54‰), (3.09‰), (3.05‰), (2.99‰). Using values, we demonstrated sensitivity estimated wolf proportions choice factors. documented decrease growth rate summer autumn, which cautions estimating temporally explicit mammals based discrete sections conclude that species-specific estimates should dietary assessments analyses limit inaccuracies interpretation populations. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.