Regional and intraseasonal variation in diet of wintering and staging Atlantic brant
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
9-1-2014
Abstract
Regional and intraseasonal patterns of food use influence populations through impacts on breeding success, survival, and distribution of individuals. We used both traditional foregut content analysis and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in liver and leg muscle to determine intraseasonal patterns in the diet of Atlantic brant geese (Branta bernicla hrota) from early winter through spring staging (1 Dec-31 May 2007-2008) along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. Overall, brant diet consisted of macroalgae (52%), salt marsh cordgrass (22%), eelgrass (18%), and terrestrial grass and clover (8%). Mean δ13C and δ15N values differed among these 4 food sources. Therefore, we used an isotope mixing-model (SIAR) to estimate the relative contributions of each source to brant diet among regions and months. Wintering brant in northern and southern regions ate mostly macroalgae throughout the wintering period and ate more salt marsh and terrestrial grasses in spring. Brant in central regions had a more stable diet from December to May. Regional and intraseasonal patterns in brant diet are likely affected by several factors including variation in food source availability and quality due to synergistic effects of long-term annual and intraseasonal changes in abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation. Our estimates of diet combined with information on brant daily energy requirements and forage quality can be used to more accurately determine carrying capacity of wintering brant geese given established population objectives.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Journal of Wildlife Management
Volume
78
Issue
7
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Ladin, Zachary S., Christopher K. Williams, Paul M. Castelli, Kristopher J. Winiarski, Jay Osenkowski, and Scott R. McWilliams. "Regional and intraseasonal variation in diet of wintering and staging Atlantic brant." Journal of Wildlife Management 78, 7 (2014). doi: 10.1002/jwmg.761.