Stable isotopes are commonly used in ecological studies to infer food resources (Ambrose & DeNiro 1986, Bocherens et al. 1990,1991,1994;Yoshinaga et al. 1991) since isotopic composition is conserved during the feeding process. Moreover,for herbivorous (sensu lato) species, it is often possible to identify the main resource because different photosynthetic pathways generate different values of carbon isotope ratios (Park & Epstein 1961, Sternberg et al. 1984). This allows the characterization of broad biota such as savannas or forest and discrimination of grazers from sympatric folivorous species (DeNiro & Epstein 1978).
Physical damage on tropical tree saplings: quantification and consequences for competition through height growth in a neotropical rain forest of French Guiana