A Primer on Stable Isotopes in Ecology

✍ Scribed by M. Francesca Cotrufo, Yamina Pressler

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2023
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 130
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

In the past few decades, the field of ecology has made huge advancements thanks to stable isotopes. Ecologists need to understand the principles of stable isotopes to fully appreciate many studies in their discipline. Ecologists also need to be aware of isotopic approaches to enrich their “toolbox” for further advancing the discipline. A Primer on Stable Isotopes in Ecology is a concise and foundational resource for anyone interested in acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge for the application of stable isotopes in ecology.

Readers will gain a more in-depth and complete knowledge of stable isotopes and explore isotopic methods used in ecological research, learning about stable isotope definitions, measurement, ecological processes, and applications in research. Chapters include in-depth descriptions of stable isotopes and their notation, isotope fractionation, isotope mixing, heavy isotope enrichment, and quantification methods by mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy.

The text guides readers to think "isotopically” to better understand research conducted using stable isotopes. The book also provides basic practical skills and activities to apply stable isotope methods in ecological research. It includes 5 activities through which readers can apply their knowledge to real-world problems and improve their skills for interpreting and using stable isotopes in ecological research. This book is designed for students and scientists from different backgrounds who share the common interest in stable isotopes.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Title Page
Copyright page
Preface
Contents
List of Abbreviations
1 Stable Isotopes as a Tool for Ecologists
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Stable isotopes integrate ecological processes in space and time
1.3 Stable isotopes indicate the presence and magnitude of ecological processes
1.4 Stable isotopes record bio-physical responses to changing environments
1.5 Stable isotopes source and trace movement of key elements, substrates, and organisms
2 Stable Isotopes, Notations, and Standards
2.1 What is a stable isotope?
2.2 Isotopocules
2.3 Why do we use delta notation?
2.4 Isotope standards
2.5 When should we use fractional and atom percent notations?
Activity: Using Isotope Notation in Ecology
3 Isotopic Fractionation
3.1 Stable isotope fractionation
3.2 Physical fractionation
3.3 Chemical fractionation
3.4 Fractionation factors
3.5 Fractionation in closed versus open systems
3.6 Isotopic fractionation at work: photosynthesis
3.7 Variation in the natural abundance of 2H, 13C, 15N, 18O, and 34S isotopes
3.8 Intramolecular site preferential heavy isotope distribution: isotopomers
Activity: Calculating Measures of Isotopic Fractionation
4 Isotope Mixing
4.1 Principles of mass balance
4.2 Applying the two end-member mixing model
4.3 Accounting for fractionation in mixing models
4.4 Concentration-dependent isotope mixing
4.5 From mass balance to the Keeling plot
4.6 Three-source mixing models
4.7 Uncertainty in source partitioning
Activity: Applying Isotope Mixing Models to Ecology
5 Heavy Isotope Enrichments
5.1 Isotope labeling
5.2 Carbon-13 labeling of plants: continuous versus pulse labeling
5.3 Amendments of isotope-labeled substrates and stable isotope probing
5.4 *-2ptAddition and recovery of isotope-labeled nutrients
5.5 Isotope dilution method
5.6 Water isotopes labeling
Activity: Designing Heavy Isotope Enrichment in Biogeochemical Studies
6 Measuring Stable Isotopes
6.1 Principles of measuring stable isotopes
6.2 Isotope ratio mass spectrometry
6.3 Laser absorption spectroscopy
6.4 Preparation systems
6.5 NanoSIMS
6.6 A few practical hints
Activity: Developing a Stable Isotope Measurement Plan
Index