Quantification of Fish Littoral Carbon Use and Trophic Position Using Stable Isotopes: An Empirical Comparison of Equations Using Freshwater Lakes
) produces the most consistent TP estimate, avoiding extreme values while reflecting the natural variability of the system. We propose a framework for calculating LCU and TP, allowing researchers to produce the least amount of bias relative to the known feeding ecology of study species while making estimates comparable across systems. Based on our case studies, we have developed a decision tree to guide researchers in estimating LCU and TP in freshwater ecosystems.
Authors
- Paul J. Blanchfield (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0886-5642)
- Cecilia E. Heuvel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3999-2919)
- Z. D. Jones (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4621-5073)
- B. C. McMeans
- Y. Zhao
- A. M. Andersen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4496-7491)
- N. Rooney
- A. T. Fisk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4208-4068)
Institutions
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CA)
- Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (CA)
- Amorfix (Canada) (CA)
- University of Windsor (CA)
- University of Guelph (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Ecology and Evolution
- Published
- 2026-04-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73426
- Primary Topic
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- Ministry of Natural Resources
- University of Windsor
- Canada Research Chairs
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada