Do preservation methods affect the identification of dietary components from faecal samples? A case study using a mycophagous marsupial
Kerry Zosky A , Kate Bryant A , Michael Calver A C and Adrian Wayne BA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
B Science Division, Department of Environment and Conservation, Locked Bag 2, Manjimup, WA 6258, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: m.calver@murdoch.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 32(2) 173-176 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM09033
Submitted: 13 November 2009 Accepted: 13 May 2010 Published: 15 September 2010
Abstract
We tested whether four preservation methods for faecal samples affected the identification of dietary components from the mycophagous woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi). All storage techniques identified fungi as the most abundant food type (>69%), followed by plant material (9–17%) and invertebrates (<5%). Between 8 and 13% of material from each technique was unidentifiable. Despite these general similarities in the results from the different techniques, there were small but statistically significant differences in the relative importance of the food types estimated using the different preservation techniques. Individual researchers will need to decide on a case-by-case basis whether these small differences can be disregarded given the general aims of their study or whether a correction factor is appropriate if small differences in diet are important to their objectives.
Additional keywords: diet, faecal analysis, food habits, preservation.
Acknowledgements
We thank staff from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy for their assistance with this investigation. Support for K. Zosky from Murdoch University (Postgraduate Scholarship) and the Department of Environment and Conservation are also gratefully acknowledged. Thanks also to Dr Manda Page from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy for her comments on the manuscript. Approval from the Murdoch University Animal Ethics Committee was obtained for this work (approval NS2061/07).
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