Stable Isotope Signatures of Inland Northwest Mammals: An Open-Source Data Set for Regional Diet Analysis
Faculty Mentor
Charlotte Milling
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
May 2025
End Date
May 2025
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Biology
Abstract
Stable isotope analysis is increasingly relied upon to rectify trophic interactions among animals. Ratios of nitrogen isotopes are associated with protein source in the diet, whereas carbon isotopes ratios can be used to draw inference on herbaceous diet items. However, acquiring isotopic signatures from diverse members of a given community can be logistically difficult. There is a general agreement among researchers that a need exists for an open-access database for isotopic data, but data for mammals in the western US are scant. Our objective is to quantify stable isotope ratios in the whiskers of mammals in the Northern Rocky Mountain region, USA for use in diet analysis. In partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, we opportunistically collected 60 whisker samples from 10 species, which we submitted to Boise State University for isotopic ratio enumeration via isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Analysis is underway, but we anticipate determining the Bayesian isotopic ellipse area for sympatric species to explore niche overlap. Additionally, we intend to house these data for open access on Isobank. These data can be used by managers and researchers to understand trophic interactions in our region and in investigations of conflict by defining the mean ratios for, in particular, potential prey items. Moreover, these results contribute to our knowledge of the natural history of mammalian biota in the Inland Northwest.
Recommended Citation
Coffell, Kelsie; Haxby, Megan; and Milling, Charlotte, "Stable Isotope Signatures of Inland Northwest Mammals: An Open-Source Data Set for Regional Diet Analysis" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 5.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/ps_2025/p2_2025/5
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Stable Isotope Signatures of Inland Northwest Mammals: An Open-Source Data Set for Regional Diet Analysis
PUB NCR
Stable isotope analysis is increasingly relied upon to rectify trophic interactions among animals. Ratios of nitrogen isotopes are associated with protein source in the diet, whereas carbon isotopes ratios can be used to draw inference on herbaceous diet items. However, acquiring isotopic signatures from diverse members of a given community can be logistically difficult. There is a general agreement among researchers that a need exists for an open-access database for isotopic data, but data for mammals in the western US are scant. Our objective is to quantify stable isotope ratios in the whiskers of mammals in the Northern Rocky Mountain region, USA for use in diet analysis. In partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, we opportunistically collected 60 whisker samples from 10 species, which we submitted to Boise State University for isotopic ratio enumeration via isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Analysis is underway, but we anticipate determining the Bayesian isotopic ellipse area for sympatric species to explore niche overlap. Additionally, we intend to house these data for open access on Isobank. These data can be used by managers and researchers to understand trophic interactions in our region and in investigations of conflict by defining the mean ratios for, in particular, potential prey items. Moreover, these results contribute to our knowledge of the natural history of mammalian biota in the Inland Northwest.
