Poor reproducibility and inference in hydrogen-stable-isotope studies of avian movement: A reply to Wunder et al. (2009)

Even if problems of δDf measurement reproducibility are resolved, probabilistic assignment of an individual's origin will still have remarkably low geographic specificity given our current understanding of the relationship between δDf and δDp , particularly when assignments are made with a r...

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Published inThe Auk Vol. 126; no. 4; p. 926
Main Authors Smith, Adam D, Lott, Casey A, Smith, Jeff P, Donohue, Kara C, Wittenberg, Sara, Smith, Kimberly G, Goodrich, Laurie
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Waco American Ornithological Society 01.10.2009
Subjects
Independent sample
Isotope studies
Quality standards
Standard deviation
Studies
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Summary:Even if problems of δDf measurement reproducibility are resolved, probabilistic assignment of an individual's origin will still have remarkably low geographic specificity given our current understanding of the relationship between δDf and δDp , particularly when assignments are made with a reasonable level of credibility. [...] we believe that researchers should discuss their inferences of migratory connectivity with the level of confidence (or skepticism) that might reasonably characterize a field in which independent validation of results is rarely possible, and that other fundamental issues that likely limit the specificity of predicted origins, described above, remain largely unexplored within the probabilistic framework of Wunder (2010).
ISSN:2732-4613
DOI:10.1525/auk.2009.126.4.3