C₃ plant isotopic variability in a boreal mixed woodland: implications for bison and other herbivores.

ABSTRACT: Plant isotopic baselines are critical for accurately reconstructing ancient diets and environments and for using stable isotopes to monitor ecosystem conservation. This study examines the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions (δ ¹³C, δ ¹⁵N) of terrestrial C₃ plants in Elk Island National Park (EINP), Alberta, Canada, with a focus on plants consumed by grazers. EINP is located in a boreal mixed woodland ecozone close to the transition area between historic wood and plains bison habitats, and is currently home to separate herds of wood and plains bison. For this study, 165 C₃ plant samples (grasses, sedges, forbs, shrubs, and horsetail) were collected from three habitat types (open, closed, and wet) during two seasons (summe

SUBMITTER: Metcalfe JZ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8466085 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature