Figure 9. Stable isotopic niche for muskox adults (n=6), calves (n=4) and plants from study area (n=48, Betula spp.,Empetrum nigrum, Eriophorum callitrix, Hamimanella hypnoides, Luzula arcuata, Salix glauca, Saxifraga flagellaris, Vaccinium uliginosum; six replicates in each species). Ellipses represent 90% confidence interval in muskox each group.E. nigrum (buddha gold), E. callitrix (dark green), L. arcuata (cyan), S. glauca (pure blue), and S. flagellaris (light violet) were previously noted as diets of muskox.
Stable isotopic niches for muskox adults (n=6), calves (n=4) and plants from study area (8 species) presented in Figure 9. Muskox adults and calves had similar values in δ13C and δ15N (PERMANOVA, p = 0.413; adults, δ13C = –29.15 ± 0.13, δ15N = –0.26 ± 0.32; calves, δ13C = –29.15 ± 0.13, δ15N = 0.47 ± 0.4). Two group ellipses were overlapped in 47.6% of area of adults and 48.1% of calves.
Each plant species had its distinctive value from others (Betulaspp., δ13C = –31.25 ± 0.1, δ15N = –9.44 ± 0.36; E. callitrix,δ13C = –30.47 ± 0.1, δ15N = –4.9 ± 0.18; E. nigrum, δ13C = –31.4 ± 0.27, δ15N = –1.2 ± 0.4; H. hypnoides,δ13C = –27.42 ± 0.3, δ15N = –6.44 ± 0.17; L. arcuata, δ13C = –28.02 ± 0.07, δ15N = –1.99 ± 0.43; S. flagellaris,δ13C = –27.33 ± 0.2, δ15N = –0.18 ± 0.51; S. glauca, δ13C = –28.1 ± 0.1, δ15N = –0.6 ± 0.15; V. uliginosum,δ13C = –30.08 ± 0.11, δ15N = –7.04 ± 0.26). Among the 8 species, four plants (E. nigrum, L. arcuata, S. flagellaris and S. glauca ) had similar δ15N value (presenting a trophic level), with our muskoxen sample.