Insights into the spatiotemporal component of feeding ecology: an isotopic approach for conservation management sciences

Abstract

Aim:Bringing new approaches to trace spatiotemporal variations in animals' feeding ecology, which is fundamental for wildlife management and conservation since the accessibility of animals to trophic resources plays a key role in the dynamics of populations and metapopulations. Location:Western Mediterranean coast. Methods:The analysis of naturally occurring stable isotopes constitutes an exceptional approach to assess variations in the trophic ecology of species within the spatiotemporal dimensions. Here, we examined the spatiotemporal heterogeneity in resource exploitation of a nuisance and overpopulated gull species with a great feeding plasticity, the Yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis, by measuring the stable isotope ratios of carbon (13C/12C, delta 13C), nitrogen (15N/14N, delta 15N) and sulphur (34S/33S, delta 34S) in different wing feathers.Results:Tracing isotopic changes among feathers in relation to moulting sequence, we showed that isotopic analyses on first primary feathers were good indicators of breeding trophic ecology, while others, such as eighth secondary feathers, reflected the feeding behaviour during the non-breeding period. This knowledge was then used to report on estimations of seasonal feeding patterns throughout the year for seven gull populations along the Western Mediterranean coast. Main conclusions: The high diversity in the exploitation patterns of the foraging habitats found in the study area both at spatial and at temporal scale indicated the opportunistic feeding behaviour of Yellow-legged gulls. Proposed isotopic approach has revealed as a useful tool to evaluate spatiotemporal variations in the feeding ecology of populations which may become clue for dealing with the management of wild species, not only nuisance populations but also endangered species. We finally pointed out the relevance of the isotopic variability among individuals to infer diet diversity and food availability of a given population, thereby allowing demographic forecasts when trophic resources vary in abundance.