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DUNE VEGETATION FERTILIZATION BY NESTING SEA TURTLES
Author(s) -
Hannan Laura B.,
Roth James D.,
Ehrhart Llewellyn M.,
Weishampel John F.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1890/06-0629
Subject(s) - nesting (process) , ecology , vegetation (pathology) , geography , human fertilization , environmental science , biology , agronomy , engineering , medicine , pathology , mechanical engineering
Sea turtle nesting presents a potential pathway to subsidize nutrient‐poor dune ecosystems, which provide the nesting habitat for sea turtles. To assess whether this positive feedback between dune plants and turtle nests exists, we measured N concentration and δ 15 N values in dune soils, leaves from a common dune plant (sea oats [ Uniola paniculata ]), and addled eggs of loggerhead ( Caretta caretta ) and green turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) across a nesting gradient (200–1050 nests/km) along a 40.5‐km stretch of beach in east central Florida, USA. The δ 15 N levels were higher in loggerhead than green turtle eggs, denoting the higher trophic level of loggerhead turtles. Soil N concentration and δ 15 N values were both positively correlated to turtle nest density. Sea oat leaf tissue δ 15 N was also positively correlated to nest density, indicating an increased use of augmented marine‐based nutrient sources. Foliar N concentration was correlated with δ 15 N, suggesting that increased nutrient availability from this biogenic vector may enhance the vigor of dune vegetation, promoting dune stabilization and preserving sea turtle nesting habitat.