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Analytical error in stable isotope ecology.

Timothy D Jardine1, Richard A Cunjak

  • 1Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Loring Bailey Hall, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada. tim.jardine@unb.ca

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Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is popular in ecology, but a knowledge gap exists regarding isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) methods. Many studies fail to report analytical error, potentially overestimating ecological effects.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is increasingly used in ecological research.
  • A gap exists between ecologists and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) operators, leading to poor understanding and reporting of methodology.
  • Many ecological studies using SIA do not adequately report analytical error, impacting data interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the reporting of analytical error in ecological studies using SIA.
  • To highlight the potential for spurious results due to variations in IRMS analysis over time.
  • To recommend protocol adjustments for more robust SIA data in ecological research.

Main Methods:

  • Survey of 330 ecological research papers to evaluate the reporting of analytical error from IRMS.
  • Simulation of standard data to assess the likelihood of false positives in SIA results.
  • Analysis of variations in analytical error between internal standards and real ecological samples.

Main Results:

  • 19% of surveyed papers failed to report any analytical error associated with IRMS.
  • Significant variation exists in how analytical error is quantified and described.
  • Simulations showed a 90% likelihood of detecting a false significant difference in nitrogen isotope ratios for a single sample analyzed across different time periods.

Conclusions:

  • Inadequate reporting of IRMS analytical error in ecological literature can lead to misinterpretation of data.
  • Internal laboratory standards may not accurately reflect the analytical error associated with complex ecological samples.
  • Implementing minor protocol changes, such as blind replicates and varied sample repeats, can improve the reliability of SIA in ecological studies.