Different responses of foliar nutrient resorption efficiency in two dominant species to grazing in the desert steppe.

Nitrogen and phosphorus resorption (NRE and PRE) is a critical nutrient conservation mechanism maintaining plant growth in already disturbed barren ecosystems. The complexity of plant nutrient resorption variations in long-term grazing regions is regulated by plant traits, nutritional utilization strategies, and soil conditions following changes in grazing patterns. Therefore, a detailed investigation into their underlying mechanism is still required. Here we investigated leaf nutrient concentration and resorption in dominant species Cleistogenes songorica (C. squarrosa) and Stipa breviflora (S. breviflora) response to 15-years continuous grazing (moderate and heavy grazing) in desert steppe. Moderate grazing enhanced green leaf N and P content in C. songorica and partially increased N content in S. breviflora. Heavy grazing consistently increased N content in C. songorica, but its P content as well as N and P content in S. breviflora were largely stable. Moderate grazing enhanced NRE but unaffected PRE in both S. breviflora and C. songorica. Heavy grazing reduced NRE and PRE in C. songorica. Although soil variables (nutrients and moisture) did not affect foliar nutrients, it's a key driver of nutrient resorption efficiency. Of all measured influence factors, soil moisture is the one most important and negatively correlated with NRE and PRE in S. breviflora. While it was not observed in C. songorica. In S. breviflora, its NRE was adversely linked with soil N, in addition, both NRE and PRE were positively associated with green leaf nutrients. Senesced leaf nutrients are the predominant factor influencing nutrient resorption efficiency in C. songorica, which were adversely associated. Overall, our results indicate significant variations in nutrient resorption efficiency patterns between the two dominant species due to divergent plant adaptation strategies to grazing and the local environment. The foliar nutritional status and soil conditions may play significant roles in regulating nutrient resorption in arid long-term grazing desert steppe.

Unravelling the resilience of the KGK VI population from the Gumelnița site (Romania) through stable isotopes.

The Gumelnița site belongs to the Kodjadermen-Gumelnița-Karanovo VI (KGK VI) communities (c. 4700-3900 cal BC) and comprises the tell-type settlement and its corresponding cemetery. This paper reconstructs the diet and lifeways of the Chalcolithic people in the northeastern Balkans using archaeological remains found at the Gumelnița site (Romania). A multi-bioarchaeological investigation (archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, anthropology) was conducted on vegetal, animal, and human remains, alongside radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N) of humans (n = 33), mammals (n = 38), reptiles (n = 3), fishes (n = 8), freshwater mussels shells (n = 18), and plants (n = 24). According to the results of δ13C and δ15N values and FRUITS, the inhabitants of Gumelnița had a diet based on crops and using natural resources, such as fish, freshwater molluscs and game. Although domestic fauna was occasionally exploited for meat, it had a role in providing secondary products. Crops were heavily manured, and chaff and other crop waste may have been necessary fodder for cattle and sheep. Dogs and pigs fed on human waste, although the diet of the latter is more similar to that of wild boars. Foxes had a diet close to dogs, which may indicate synanthropic behaviour. Radiocarbon dates were calibrated with the percentage of freshwater resources obtained by FRUITS. As a result, the corrected dates for the freshwater reservoir effect (FRE) have a delay of an average of 147 years. According to our data, this agrarian community developed a subsistence strategy under the pressure of some climatic changes that started after 4300 cal BC, corresponding to KGK VI rapid collapse/decline episode tracked recently (that begins around 4350 cal BC). This matching of our data in the two models (climatic and chrono-demographic) allowed us to capture the economic strategies that led to the resilience of those people more than other contemporary KGK VI communities.

Examination of the negative correlation between leaf δ15N and the N:P ratio across a northeast-southwest transect in China.

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are two crucial limiting mineral elements for terrestrial plants. Although the leaf N:P ratio is extensively used to indicate plant nutrient limitations, the critical N:P ratios cannot be universally applied. Some investigations have suggested that leaf nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) can provide another proxy for nutrient limitations along with the N:P ratio, but the negative relationships between N:P and δ15N were mainly limited to fertilization experiments. It will obviously benefit the study of the nature of nutrient limitations if the relationship could be explained more generally. We analyzed leaf δ15N, N, and P contents across a northeast-southwest transect in China. Leaf δ15N was weakly negatively correlated with leaf N:P ratios for all plants, while there was no correlation between them for various plant groups, including different growth forms, genera, and species across the entire N:P range. This suggests that the use of leaf δ15N in indicating the shift of nutrient limitations across the whole N:P range still requires more validated field investigations. Notably, negative relationships between δ15N and N:P hold for plants with N:P ratios between 10 and 20 but not for plants with N:P ratios lower than 10 or higher than 20. That is, changes in leaf δ15N along with the N:P ratio of plants that are co-limited by N and P can exhibit variations in plant nutrient limitations, whereas plants that are strictly limited by N and P cannot. Moreover, these relationships are not altered by vegetation type, soil type, MAP, or MAT, indicating that the use of leaf δ15N in reflecting shifts in nutrient limitations, depending on the plant nutrient limitation range, is general. We examined the relationships between leaf δ15N and the N:P ratio across an extensive transect, providing references for the widespread use of leaf δ15N in reflecting shifts in nutrient limitation.

[Discrimination of cultivation modes of Dendrobium nobile based on content of mineral elements and ratios of nitrogen stable isotopes].

This study explored the feasibility of mineral element content and ratios of nitrogen isotopes to discriminate the cultivation mode of Dendrobium nobile in order to provide theoretical support for the discrimination of the cultivation mode of D. nobile. The content of 11 mineral elements(N, K, Ca, P, Mg, Na, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and B) and nitrogen isotope ratios in D. nobile and its substrate samples in three cultivation methods(greenhouse cultivation, tree-attached cultivation, and stone-attached cultivation) were determined. According to the analysis of variance, principal component analysis, and stepwise discriminant analysis, the samples of different cultivation types were classified. The results showed that the nitrogen isotope ratios and the content of elements except for Zn were significantly different among different cultivation types of D. nobile(P<0.05). The results of correlation analysis showed that the nitrogen isotope ratios, mineral element content, and effective component content in D. nobile were correlated with the nitrogen isotope ratio and mineral element content in the corresponding substrate samples to varying degrees. Principal component analysis can preliminarily classify the samples of D. nobile, but some samples overlapped. Through stepwise discriminant analysis, six indicators, including δ~(15)N, K, Cu, P, Na, and Ca, were screened out, which could be used to establish the discriminant model of D. nobile cultivation methods, and the overall correct discrimination rates after back-substitution test, cross-check, and external validation were all 100%. Therefore, nitrogen isotope ratios and mineral element fingerprints combined with multivariate statistical analysis could effectively discriminate the cultivation types of D. nobile. The results of this study provide a new method for the identification of the cultivation type and production area of D. nobile and an experimental basis for the quality evaluation and quality control of D. nobile.

Using a Multi-isotope Approach and Isotope Mixing Models to Trace and Quantify Phosphorus Sources in the Tuojiang River, Southwest China.

Identifying phosphorus (P) sources is critical for solving eutrophication and controlling P in aquatic environments. Phosphate oxygen isotopes (δ18Op) have been used to trace P sources. However, the application of this method has been greatly restricted due to δ18OP values from the potential source having wide and overlapping ranges. In this research, P sources were traced by combining δ18Op with multiple stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N), hydrogen (δD), and dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13C). Then, a Bayesian-based Stable Isotope Analysis in R (SIAR) model and IsoSource model were used to estimate the proportional contributions of the potential sources in the Tuojiang River. δ18Op was not in equilibrium with ambient water, and statistically significant differences in the δ18Op values were found between the potential sources, indicating that δ18Op can be used to trace the P sources. δ15N, δD, and δ13C could assist δ18Op in identifying the main sources of P. The SIAR and IsoSource models suggested that industrial and domestic sewage was the largest contributor, followed by phosphate rock and phosphogypsum and agricultural sewage. The uncertainty of the calculation results of the SIAR model was lower than that of the IsoSource model. These findings provide new insights into tracing P sources using multiple stable isotopes in watersheds.

Determination of nitrogen sources and losses in surface runoff from different lands at a watershed scale.

Nitrogen (N) loss by surface runoff inevitably results in severe N pollution and eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, surface runoff from different land uses in the East Tiaoxi River watershed was collected, and the N concentrations, sources and losses were measured using the dual isotope (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-), a Bayesian isotopic mixing (SIAR) model and Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method. The results showed that the N concentrations in surface runoff from agricultural lands were higher than those from urban areas and forestlands, and nitrate (NO3-), particulate nitrogen (PN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were the major forms of N in surface runoff in the East Tiaoxi River watershed. The total loss rate of total nitrogen (TN) from surface runoff in the East Tiaoxi River watershed was 5.38 kg·ha-1·a-1, with NO3--N (46%) contributing the most to TN loss. The TN, and NO3--N loss rates in surface runoff from tea planting lands (21.08 kg·ha-1·a-1, 11.98 kg·ha-1·a-1) and croplands (16.93 kg·ha-1·a-1, 10.96 kg·ha-1·a-1) were high, those from vegetable lands and urban areas were medium, and those from economic and natural forestlands were low in the East Tiaoxi River watershed. The NO3--N contributions of chemical fertiliser (CF), soil N (SN), sewage/manure (SM), and atmospheric deposition (AD) in surface runoff in the East Tiaoxi River watershed were 124.32 × 103, 104.84 × 103, 82.25 × 103 and 58.69 × 103 kg·a-1, respectively. The N pollutant losses in surface runoff from agricultural lands (croplands with rice growing, vegetable lands and tea planting lands) were responsible for most of the N pollutants being transported into the East Tiaoxi River systems.

Diffuse and concentrated nitrogen sewage pollution in island environments with differing treatment systems.

Macroalgae is an under-utilised tool as a bioindicator of anthropogenic nitrogen loading to the coastal environment in the UK. This study compared two island systems-Jersey (Channel Islands) and St Mary's (Isles of Scilly) to assess how differing sewerage infrastructure affects nitrogen loading. A total of 831 macroalgae samples of Fucus vesiculosus and Ulva sp. were analysed for nitrogen isotopes (δ15N). Elevated δ15N values were recorded for Jersey (> 9‰) in St Aubin's Bay-caused by the outflow of the Bellozanne Sewerage Treatment Works (STW). δ15N isoplots maps indicate low diffusion of nitrogen out of St Aubin's Bay. St Mary's produced a varied δ15N isoplot map in comparison. δ15N was typically lower and is attributed to a smaller population and inefficient STW. Outflow of sewage/effluent at Morning Point, Hugh Town and Old Town produced elevated δ15N values in comparison to the island average. St Mary's inefficient sewerage treatment and reliance on septic tanks/soakaways complicates δ15N interpretation although it still indicates that nitrogen pollution is an island-wide issue. Future sewerage development and upgrades on islands are required to prevent similar effluent environmental issues as recorded in St Aubin's Bay. This study advocates the use of macroalgae as a bioindicator of nitrogen effluent in the marine environment.

Using tissue cysteine to predict the trophic transfer of methylmercury and selenium in lake food webs.

The biomagnification of toxic methylmercury (MeHg) and selenium (Se) through aquatic food webs using nitrogen stable isotopes (δ15N) varies among ecosystems but underlying mechanisms are yet unexplained. Given the strong links between MeHg and thiol-containing amino acids and proteins containing selenocysteine, our hypothesis was that cysteine content is a better predictor of MeHg and Se transfer through lake food webs than δ15N. Food web samples were collected from six lakes in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada, and the regression slopes of log MeHg or Se versus protein-bound cysteine or bulk δ15N were compared. Across all six lakes, MeHg varied by a factor of 10 among taxa and was significantly and positively related to both cysteine (R2 = 0.65-0.80, p < 0.001) and δ15N (R2 = 0.88-0.94, p < 0.001), with no among-system differences in these slopes. In contrast, total Se concentrations varied by less than a factor of 2 among taxa in four lakes and were significantly related to cysteine in only two food webs (R2 = 0.20 & 0.37, p = 0.014 & < 0.001); however, δ15N was not a predictor of Se in any lake (p = 0.052-0.777). Overall, these novel results indicate that cysteine content predicts MeHg, and sometimes Se, across trophic levels, providing a potential mechanism for among-system differences in their biomagnification.

Ecofriendly shiitake authentication using bulk and amino acid-specific stable isotope models.

Accurate authentication of ecofriendly shiitake, such as organic and pesticide-free shiitake, is required to improve food safety and to increase reliability of the national agrofood certification system; however, this is a challenging task. Therefore, this study examined the feasibility of bulk and compound-specific isotope analyses to discriminate ecofriendly shiitake against conventional counterparts. Using the compound-specific isotope model, the classification accuracy was greater (100%) than that of the bulk isotope model (74.5%) for each original sample set. In the compound-specific model, a cutting score of -4.42 discriminated organic shiitake from pesticide-free shiitake and a cutting score of 4.87 discriminated organic shiitake from conventional shiitake. The isotope fractionation trend was less influenced by shiitake type and the amino acid synthetic pathway. Thus, the compound-specific isotope model of amino acids may be a good complementary authentication tool to overcome the limitations of bulk stable isotopes or a pesticide residue test.

Chemometric origin classification of Chinese garlic using sulfur-containing compounds, assisted by stable isotopes and bioelements.

Geographical origin discrimination of agro-products is essential to guarantee food safety and fair trade. Garlic samples cultivated in six provinces or major production regions in China were characterized for stable isotopes (δ13C, δ2H, δ18O, δ15N, and δ34S), bioelemental contents (% C, % N and % S), and sulfur-containing compounds (8 organosulfur components and 2 amino acids). Results showed that many of the 18 analyzed garlic variables had significant differences among production regions. Some sulfur-containing compounds found in garlic from different provinces had a strong correlation with sulfur isotopes, suggesting garlic sulfur isotopes were also affected by geographical origin. Two supervised pattern recognition models (PLS-DA and k-NN) were developed using stable isotopes, elemental contents, and sulfur-containing compounds, and had a discrimination accuracy of 93.4 % and 87.8 %, respectively. Chemometric classification models using multi-isotopes, elements and sulfur-containing compounds provides a useful method to authenticate Chinese garlic origins.

Hunting before herding: A zooarchaeological and stable isotopic study of suids (Sus sp.) at Hardinxveld-Giessendam, the Netherlands (5450-4250 cal BC).

Suids (Sus sp.) played a crucial role in the transition to farming in northern Europe and, like in many regions, in the Netherlands pig husbandry became an important subsistence activity at Neolithic sites. Yet little is known about wild boar palaeoecology and hunting in the Late Mesolithic Netherlands with which to contextualize this transition. This paper presents the first multi-proxy analysis of archaeological suid remains in the Netherlands. It explores human-suid interactions at the Swifterbant culture sites of Hardinxveld-Giessendam Polderweg and De Bruin (5450-4250 BC) through biometric analysis, estimation of age-at-death, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. The results reveal targeted hunting of adult wild boar in the Late Mesolithic (5450-4850 BC), with a possible shift over time towards more juveniles. The wild boar in this period are demonstrated to be of comparably large size to contemporary northern European populations and exhibiting a wide range of dietary regimes. In the final occupational period (4450-4250 BC), small suids are present, possibly domestic pigs, but there is no evidence of pig management. This study demonstrates that the nature of human-suid interactions varied over time, which may have been connected to changing environmental conditions, human mobility, and wild boar behaviour. This study also contributes the first biometric and dietary baseline for mid-Holocene wild boar in the Netherlands.

Extensive primary production promoted the recovery of the Ediacaran Shuram excursion.

Member IV of the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation records the recovery from the most negative carbon isotope excursion in Earth history. However, the main biogeochemical controls that ultimately drove this recovery have yet to be elucidated. Here, we report new carbon and nitrogen isotope and concentration data from the Nanhua Basin (South China), where δ13C values of carbonates (δ13Ccarb) rise from - 7‰ to -1‰ and δ15N values decrease from +5.4‰ to +2.3‰. These trends are proposed to arise from a new equilibrium in the C and N cycles where primary production overcomes secondary production as the main source of organic matter in sediments. The enhanced primary production is supported by the coexisting Raman spectral data, which reveal a systematic difference in kerogen structure between depositional environments. Our new observations point to the variable dominance of distinct microbial communities in the late Ediacaran ecosystems, and suggest that blooms of oxygenic phototrophs modulated the recovery from the most negative δ13Ccarb excursion in Earth history.

Assessment of rapid low-cost isotope (δ15 N, δ18 O) analyses of nitrate in fruit extracts by Ti(III) reduction to differentiate organic from conventional production.

RATIONALE: The isotopic composition (δ15 N, δ18 O) of nitrate in fruits and vegetables differentiates organic from conventional food production practices. Organic systems do not use synthetic nitrate fertilizers high in 18 O and low in 15 N and thereby help reveal producers' fertilization claims. Isotope analyses of nitrate extracted from fruits and vegetables are done by bacterial reduction which is costly and by specialized laboratories. Rapid, low-cost methods are needed to promulgate nitrate isotope analyses of food products to support organic food product certification and to verify the authenticity of production claims. METHODS: Fresh strawberry samples were obtained from certified organic and conventional growers in Andalucía, Spain. We applied a new, rapid, one-step Ti(III) reduction method to convert the nitrate from strawberry extracts to N2 O gas for headspace isotope analyses using isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. Using the Ti(III) reduction method, 70 samples, controls and references were prepared and analyzed for NO3 - , δ15 N and δ18 O per 48 h. We also analyzed extracts and solids for anions and cations and for bulk δ15 N for multivariate chemometric evaluation. RESULTS: The Ti(III)-based isotope analyses of nitrate in strawberry extracts revealed clear differentiation between organic and conventional production with mean δ18 O and δ15 N values of +18.3 ± 1.2 ‰ and +17.6 ± 1.2 ‰ versus +28.2 ± 4.5 ‰ and +14.9 ± 3.0 ‰, respectively. The δ15 N of strawberry dry mass differed slightly (+3.0 ± 1.4 ‰ versus +4.0 ± 1.4 ‰) between organic and conventional samples, respectively. Chemometric analyses of nitrate isotopes and extract chemistry revealed that the δ18 O of nitrate along with δ15 N and Ca2+ fully differentiated organic from conventional strawberry production. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show the Ti(III) reduction method provides a new low-cost and rapid analytical method to facilitate compound-specific δ15 N and δ18 O isotope analyses of nitrate in selected fruit types, and likely other food products, for the purposes of assessing nitrate fertilization practices of organic versus conventional production claims and to support authenticity investigations.

Carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis of morphine from opium and heroin samples originating in the four major heroin producing regions.

The forensic analysis of stable isotopes is a valuable tool to geo-source natural or semisynthetic drugs such as cocaine and heroin. The present study describes a novel methodology to isolate morphine from opium for isotopic analysis. Furthermore, this isotopic data from regional sources is corroborated with morphine data obtained from seized heroin (deacetylated to morphine) from the same regions. All five primary alkaloids of opium, namely, morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine, and papaverine, were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array (PDA) detector before the preparative experiment to gather a complete major alkaloidal profile. Morphine fractions of authentic opium submissions from Mexico, South America, Southwest Asia, and Southeast Asia were isolated and collected using preparative high performance liquid chromatography, and the collected morphine samples were subsequently analyzed by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Carbon and nitrogen isotope data are presented. The data demonstrate that nitrogen ratios are capable of differentiating samples from Mexico and South America while carbon ratios are able to distinguish Southwest Asian samples from other source regions. Analogous results have routinely been observed (as part of Heroin Signature Program analysis) for morphine obtained from deacetylated authentic heroin samples from the same source regions. The results suggest that the poppy growing region has a greater influence on the carbon and nitrogen isotope values than the heroin manufacturing processes employed. When utilized in conjunction with existing signature methodologies, carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio data can enhance the ability to geo-source heroin.

Natural abundance analysis of the role played by 15 N as indicator for the certification of organic-system deriving food.

BACKGROUND: The natural abundance of stable isotope 15 N (δ15 N) in production systems has emerged as an alternative to distinguish organic products from conventional ones. This study evaluated the use of δ15 N values recorded for nitrogen fertilizers, soil and plant tissue in order to set the differences between organic and conventional agricultural production systems applied to rice, potatoes, apple and banana crops. RESULTS: Values of δ15 N recorded for N sources ranged from +5.58‰ to +18.27‰ and from -3.55‰ to +3.19‰ in organic and synthetic fertilizers, respectively. Values recorded for δ15 N in food from organic rice, potatoes and banana farms were higher than values recorded for δ15 N in conventional farms; the same was observed for values recorded for δ15 N in leaves from the four crops. CONCLUSION: Results have allowed for differentiation between production systems due to values of δ15 N recorded in leaves of all crops and food, for rice, potatoes and banana trees. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quinoa, potatoes, and llamas fueled emergent social complexity in the Lake Titicaca Basin of the Andes.

The Lake Titicaca basin was one of the major centers for cultural development in the ancient world. This lacustrine environment is unique in the high, dry Andean altiplano, and its aquatic and terrestrial resources are thought to have contributed to the florescence of complex societies in this region. Nevertheless, it remains unclear to what extent local aquatic resources, particularly fish, and the introduced crop, maize, which can be grown in regions along the lakeshores, contributed to facilitating sustained food production and population growth, which underpinned increasing social political complexity starting in the Formative Period (1400 BCE to 500 CE) and culminating with the Tiwanaku state (500 to 1100 CE). Here, we present direct dietary evidence from stable isotope analysis of human skeletal remains spanning over two millennia, together with faunal and floral reference materials, to reconstruct foodways and ecological interactions in southern Lake Titicaca over time. Bulk stable isotope analysis, coupled with compound-specific amino acid stable isotope analysis, allows better discrimination between resources consumed across aquatic and terrestrial environments. Together, this evidence demonstrates that human diets predominantly relied on C3 plants, particularly quinoa and tubers, along with terrestrial animals, notably domestic camelids. Surprisingly, fish were not a significant source of animal protein, but a slight increase in C4 plant consumption verifies the increasing importance of maize in the Middle Horizon. These results underscore the primary role of local terrestrial food resources in securing a nutritious diet that allowed for sustained population growth, even in the face of documented climate and political change across these periods.

Stable isotopes reveal intensive pig husbandry practices in the middle Yellow River region by the Yangshao period (7000-5000 BP).

It is well-known that pigs (Sus scrofa) were domesticated very early in Neolithic China, but far less is known about the processes by which pig husbandry intensified so that pork became the most important animal protein for humans are less clear. Here, we explore pig feeding practices using the carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of bone collagen, focusing on developments in pig husbandry during the Yangshao period (7000-5000 BP) in the middle Yellow River region of China, and at the site of Xipo (5800-5000 BP) in particular. The results show that the diets of domestic pigs at Xipo were dominated by millet foods. Comparisons with other Yangshao sites in the region show a trend of increasing millet foddering for pigs throughout the Yangshao period. These results, and comparisons of the isotopic data for pigs against those for humans from the Xipo cemetery (5300-5000 BP), suggest that pigs were closely managed by humans. The evidence points to an intensification of Neolithic pig husbandry in the middle Yellow River region from this period.

Tracing the sources of phosphorus along the salinity gradient in a coastal estuary using multi-isotope proxies.

Eutrophication in coastal water has compromised ecosystem services. Identification of phosphorus (P) sources and their load contributions are required for the development of effective nutrient management plans. In this research, multi-isotope proxies were applied to track P sources and evaluate their relative contributions in Love Creek, a coastal estuary in Delaware. The isotope values of carbon (ca. -22‰), nitrogen (ca.+6‰), and phosphate oxygen (ca.+18‰) of agricultural soils under different agricultural practices are generally similar even though their concentrations are distinctly different from forest soils (δ13C: ca. -27‰; δ13N: ca.+2‰; δ18OP: ca.+22‰). Comparison of these parameters among potential land sources (agricultural soils, forest soils, septic wastes, and plant debris) and sink (colloids in water) revealed that the plant debris and soils from forest sources are likely dominant sources of P in freshwater sites. The contribution of terrestrial P sources gradually decreased along the salinity gradient and agricultural soil sources gradually dominanted in the saline water portion of the creek. The variations of P loads due to weather-related discharge, changing land use and activities, and seasons were high and reflected the limitation of accurate estimation of sources. Overall, these results provide improved insights into potential sources and biogeochemical processes in the estuary, which are expected to be useful for water quality monitoring programs.

An arithmetic correction for the effect of lipid on carbon stable isotope ratios in muscle and digestive glands of the American lobster (Homarus americanus).

RATIONALE: Lipid correction models use elemental carbon-to-nitrogen ratios to estimate the effect of lipids on δ13 C values and provide a fast and inexpensive alternative to chemically removing lipids. However, the performance of these models varies, especially in whole-body invertebrate samples. The generation of tissue-specific lipid correction models for American lobsters, both an ecologically and an economically important species in eastern North America, will aid ecological research of this species and our understanding of the function of these models in invertebrates. METHOD: We determined the δ13 C and δ15 N values before and after lipid extraction in muscle and digestive glands of juvenile and adult lobster. We assessed the performance of four commonly used models (nonlinear, linear, natural logarithm (LN) and generalized linear model (GLM)) at estimating lipid-free δ13 C values based on the non-lipid-extracted δ13 C values and elemental C:N ratios. The accuracy of model predictions was tested using paired t-tests, and the performance of the different models was compared using the Akaike information criterion score. RESULTS: Lipid correction models accurately estimated post-lipid-extraction δ13 C values in both tissues. The nonlinear model was the least accurate for both tissues. In muscle, the three other models performed well, and in digestive glands, the LN model provided the most accurate estimates throughout the range of C:N values. In both tissues, the GLM estimates were not independent of the post-lipid-extraction δ13 C values, thus reducing their transferability to other datasets. CONCLUSIONS: Whereas previous work found that whole-body models poorly estimated the effect of lipids in invertebrates, we show that tissue-specific lipid correction models can generate accurate and precise estimates of lipid-free δ13 C values in lobster. We suggest that the tissue-specific logarithmic models presented here are the preferred models for accounting for the effect of lipid on lobster isotope ratios.

How Does Diet Influence Our Lives? Evaluating the Relationship between Isotopic Signatures and Mortality Patterns in Italian Roman Imperial and Medieval Periods.

The present research investigates the relationship between dietary habits and mortality patterns in the Roman Imperial and Medieval periods. The reconstructions of population dynamics and subsistence strategies provide a fascinating source of information for understanding our history. This is particularly true given that the changes in social, economic, political, and religious aspects related to the transition from the Roman period to the Middle Ages have been widely discussed. We analyzed the isotopic and mortality patterns of 616 individuals from 18 archeological sites (the Medieval Latium sites of Colonna, Santa Severa, Allumiere, Cencelle, and 14 Medieval and Imperial funerary contexts from Rome) to compile a survivorship analysis. A semi-parametric approach was applied, suggesting variations in mortality patterns between sexes in the Roman period. Nitrogen isotopic signatures influenced mortality in both periods, showing a quadratic and a linear effect for Roman Imperial and Medieval populations, respectively. No influence of carbon isotopic signatures has been detected for Roman Imperial populations. Conversely, increased mortality risk for rising carbon isotopic values was observed in Medieval samples.