Diet of a threatened endemic fox reveals variation in sandy beach resource use on California Channel Islands.
The coastal zone provides foraging opportunities for insular populations of terrestrial mammals, allowing for expanded habitat use, increased dietary breadth, and locally higher population densities. We examined the use of sandy beach resources by the threatened island fox (Urocyon littoralis) on th...
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oai:doaj.org-article:f0e9b8cdf37b493693bf2035783112342021-12-02T20:16:28ZDiet of a threatened endemic fox reveals variation in sandy beach resource use on California Channel Islands.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0258919https://doaj.org/article/f0e9b8cdf37b493693bf2035783112342021-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258919https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203The coastal zone provides foraging opportunities for insular populations of terrestrial mammals, allowing for expanded habitat use, increased dietary breadth, and locally higher population densities. We examined the use of sandy beach resources by the threatened island fox (Urocyon littoralis) on the California Channel Islands using scat analysis, surveys of potential prey, beach habitat attributes, and stable isotope analysis. Consumption of beach invertebrates, primarily intertidal talitrid amphipods (Megalorchestia spp.) by island fox varied with abundance of these prey across sites. Distance-based linear modeling revealed that abundance of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) wrack, rather than beach physical attributes, explained the largest amount of variation in talitrid amphipod abundance and biomass across beaches. δ13C and δ15N values of fox whisker (vibrissae) segments suggested individualism in diet, with generally low δ13C and δ15N values of some foxes consistent with specializing on primarily terrestrial foods, contrasting with the higher isotope values of other individuals that suggested a sustained use of sandy beach resources, the importance of which varied over time. Abundant allochthonous marine resources on beaches, including inputs of giant kelp, may expand habitat use and diet breadth of the island fox, increasing population resilience during declines in terrestrial resources associated with climate variability and long-term climate change.Henry M PageJuliann SchamelKyle A EmeryNicholas K SchoolerJenifer E DuganAngela GuglielminoDonna M SchroederLinnea PalmstromDavid M HubbardRobert J MillerPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 10, p e0258919 (2021) |
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Medicine R Science Q Henry M Page Juliann Schamel Kyle A Emery Nicholas K Schooler Jenifer E Dugan Angela Guglielmino Donna M Schroeder Linnea Palmstrom David M Hubbard Robert J Miller Diet of a threatened endemic fox reveals variation in sandy beach resource use on California Channel Islands. |
description |
The coastal zone provides foraging opportunities for insular populations of terrestrial mammals, allowing for expanded habitat use, increased dietary breadth, and locally higher population densities. We examined the use of sandy beach resources by the threatened island fox (Urocyon littoralis) on the California Channel Islands using scat analysis, surveys of potential prey, beach habitat attributes, and stable isotope analysis. Consumption of beach invertebrates, primarily intertidal talitrid amphipods (Megalorchestia spp.) by island fox varied with abundance of these prey across sites. Distance-based linear modeling revealed that abundance of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) wrack, rather than beach physical attributes, explained the largest amount of variation in talitrid amphipod abundance and biomass across beaches. δ13C and δ15N values of fox whisker (vibrissae) segments suggested individualism in diet, with generally low δ13C and δ15N values of some foxes consistent with specializing on primarily terrestrial foods, contrasting with the higher isotope values of other individuals that suggested a sustained use of sandy beach resources, the importance of which varied over time. Abundant allochthonous marine resources on beaches, including inputs of giant kelp, may expand habitat use and diet breadth of the island fox, increasing population resilience during declines in terrestrial resources associated with climate variability and long-term climate change. |
format |
article |
author |
Henry M Page Juliann Schamel Kyle A Emery Nicholas K Schooler Jenifer E Dugan Angela Guglielmino Donna M Schroeder Linnea Palmstrom David M Hubbard Robert J Miller |
author_facet |
Henry M Page Juliann Schamel Kyle A Emery Nicholas K Schooler Jenifer E Dugan Angela Guglielmino Donna M Schroeder Linnea Palmstrom David M Hubbard Robert J Miller |
author_sort |
Henry M Page |
title |
Diet of a threatened endemic fox reveals variation in sandy beach resource use on California Channel Islands. |
title_short |
Diet of a threatened endemic fox reveals variation in sandy beach resource use on California Channel Islands. |
title_full |
Diet of a threatened endemic fox reveals variation in sandy beach resource use on California Channel Islands. |
title_fullStr |
Diet of a threatened endemic fox reveals variation in sandy beach resource use on California Channel Islands. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Diet of a threatened endemic fox reveals variation in sandy beach resource use on California Channel Islands. |
title_sort |
diet of a threatened endemic fox reveals variation in sandy beach resource use on california channel islands. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doaj.org/article/f0e9b8cdf37b493693bf203578311234 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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