Marine subsidy promotes spatial and dietary niche variation in an omnivore, the Keen’s mouse (Peromyscus keeni)

Abstract

Marine-derived resource subsidies can generate intrapopulation variation in the behaviors and diets of terrestrial consumers. How omnivores respond, given their multiple trophic interactions, is not well understood. We sampled mice (Peromyscus keeni) and their food sources at five sites on three islands of the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, to test predictions regarding variation in the spatial behavior and consumption of marine-subsidized foods among individuals. About 50% of detections (n = 27 recaptures) occurred at traps closest to shoreline (25 m), with capture frequencies declining significantly inland (up to 200 m). Stable isotope signatures (δ13C and δ15N), particularly δ15N, in plant foods, forest arthropod prey, and mouse feces were significantly enriched near shorelines compared with inland, while δ13C patterns were more variable. Bayesian isotope mixing models applied to isotope values in mouse hair indicated that over one-third (35–37%) of diet was comprised of beach-dwelling arthropods, a marine-derived food source. Males were more abundant near the shoreline than females and consumed more marine-derived prey, regardless of reproductive status or availability of other food sources. Our results identify how multiple pathways of marine nutrient transfer can subsidize terrestrial omnivores and how subsets of recipient populations can show variation in spatial and dietary response.