What Can Stable Isotope Analysis of Top Predator Tissues Contribute to Monitoring of Tundra Ecosystems

摘要: Understanding how climate change and increasing human impacts may exert pressure on ecosystems threaten biodiversity requires efficient monitoring programs. Indicator species have been proposed as useful tools, predators their diet be particularly suitable. The vast remote arctic tundra represents a good case study shifts in ecosystem states are presently occurring, is major challenge. Here we assess what stable isotopes reflecting the of fox, widespread highly flexible top predator, can contribute to effective vertebrate prey basis Arctic tundra. We used data collected over 2–5 years from six sites Eurasian Greenland. Stable isotope signatures fox winter fur reflected both spatial temporal variability composition basis. Clear contrasts were apparent importance marine resources, well small rodents multiannual density fluctuations. Some important resources could however not separated because confounding isotopic signatures. Moreover, except for preferred prey, proportions necessarily reflect relative community available prey. Knowing these limitations, suggest that inferred serve one several key targets ecosystem-based