Grazing kangaroos act as local recyclers of energy on semiarid floodplains

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorIles, Jen_AU
dc.contributor.authorKelleway, JJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorKobayashi, Ten_AU
dc.contributor.authorMazumder, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorKnowles, Len_AU
dc.contributor.authorPriddel, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorSaintilan, Nen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2010-10-11T04:07:18Zen_AU
dc.date.available2010-10-11T04:07:18Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2010-08-25en_AU
dc.date.statistics2010-08-25en_AU
dc.description.abstractOn Australian semiarid floodplains, large herbivores such as kangaroos have a role in the cycling of energy (carbon) through the mechanism of feeding and defaecation of vegetative material. The degree to which kangaroos are vectors of energy within this system is not fully understood. This study describes the stable carbon isotope signature of floodplain plants and kangaroo scats at two close study sites. Kangaroos were found to deposit scats that mirrored the forage composition at each particular feeding site. Scats were 3.94‰ higher in δ13C values at the site where C4 grasses were available, indicating that this grass contributed ~25–30% of the diet of these kangaroos. The difference in diet due to the relative availability of C3 and C4 forage, detectable in the carbon stable isotope signature of scats, is used to demonstrate that kangaroos are recycling and redistributing energy locally, rather than transporting it more broadly across the floodplain. © 2010, CSIRO Publishingen_AU
dc.identifier.citationIles, J., Kelleway, J., Kobayashi, T., Mazumder, D., Knowles, L., Priddel, D., et al. (2010). Grazing kangaroos act as local recyclers of energy on semiarid floodplains. Australian Journal of Zoology, 58(3), 145-149. doi:10.1071/ZO10020en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc2805en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0004-959Xen_AU
dc.identifier.issue3en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleAustralian Journal of Zoologyen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination145-149en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ZO10020en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/2665en_AU
dc.identifier.volume58en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherCSIRO Publishingen_AU
dc.subjectMarsupialsen_AU
dc.subjectAustraliaen_AU
dc.subjectArid landsen_AU
dc.subjectCarbonen_AU
dc.subjectDieten_AU
dc.subjectStable isotopesen_AU
dc.titleGrazing kangaroos act as local recyclers of energy on semiarid floodplainsen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
Files
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Journal Articles