Does faecal matter reflect location? An initial assessment of isotopic variability between consumed prey remains and faecal matter for wild jaguars^*

Faecal isotopic analysis may complement other non-invasive wildlife survey tools for monitoring landscape use by carnivores, such as motion-detecting cameras and non-invasive genetic sampling. We analysed carbon, nitrogen, and strontium isotopes in faecal matter produced by jaguars (<i>Panthera onca</i>) as well as bones from consumed prey at the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (MPR) in Belize, Central America. The MPR is ideally suited for a spatial isotope study as vegetation and geology both vary considerably. The isotopic composition of faecal matter should reflect the habitat and geology where consumed prey lived. We used bone from consumed prey recovered from jaguar scats as a proxy for diet. Faecal matter and bone showed comparable spatial isotopic trends, suggesting that the isotopic composition of jaguar faeces can be used to detect foraging in different habitats (pine forest versus broadleaf forest) or on different geologies (Mesozoic carbonates; Palaeozoic granite, contact metamorphics, and metasediments). This result is reassuring as bones are not always present in carnivore scats. Studying landscape use by cryptic and wide-ranging carnivore species like jaguars remains challenging. Isotopic analysis of faecal matter complements the existing array of non-invasive spatial monitoring tools.

粪便同位素分析可作为监测食肉动物景观利用的其他非侵入性野生动物调查工具的补充手段，例如运动感应相机与非侵入性遗传采样。我们对中美洲伯利兹山地松岭森林保护区（MPR）内美洲豹（*Panthera onca*）的粪便样本及其捕食的猎物骨骼中的碳、氮、锶同位素开展了分析。该保护区的植被与地质均存在显著差异，非常适合开展空间同位素研究。粪便的同位素组成应当能够反映被捕食猎物的生存栖息地与所处地质背景。我们以从美洲豹粪便中回收的被捕食猎物骨骼作为其膳食的替代标志物。粪便样本与猎物骨骼呈现出可比的空间同位素趋势，这表明美洲豹粪便的同位素组成可用于检测其在不同栖息地（针叶林 vs 阔叶林）或不同地质背景（中生代碳酸盐岩；古生代花岗岩、接触变质岩及变沉积岩）中的觅食活动。鉴于食肉动物粪便中并非总能发现骨骼样本，这一结果具有重要参考意义。针对美洲豹这类隐秘且活动范围广泛的食肉动物开展景观利用研究仍颇具挑战，粪便同位素分析可作为现有非侵入性空间监测工具组合的有益补充。

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集聚焦于评估野生美洲豹粪便同位素是否反映其地理位置，通过比较伯利兹山松岭森林保护区内美洲豹粪便与猎物骨骼中的碳、氮和锶同位素变异性。研究发现粪便和猎物骨骼同位素趋势一致，表明粪便同位素分析可作为非侵入性工具，有效监测美洲豹在不同栖息地（如松林与阔叶林）或地质区域（如中生代碳酸盐岩与古生代花岗岩）的觅食行为，补充现有空间监测方法。