Shifts in the fundamental and realised niche of individuals during their ontogeny are ubiquitous in nature, but we know little about what aspects of the niche change and how these changes vary across species within communities. However, this knowledge is essential to predict the dynamics of populations and communities and how they respond to environmental change. Here I introduce a range of metrics to describe different aspects of shifts in the realised trophic niche of individuals based on stable isotopes. Applying this multi‐variate approach to 2,272 individuals from 13 taxonomic and functional distinct species (Amphibia, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Odonata) sampled in natural pond communities allowed me to: (1) describe and quantify the diversity of trophic niche shift patterns over ontogeny in multi‐dimensional space, and (2) identify what aspects of ontogenetic shifts vary across taxa, and functional groups. Results revealed that species can differ substantially in which aspects of the trophic niche change and how they change over ontogeny. Interestingly, patterns of ontogenetic niche shifts grouped in distinct taxonomic clusters in multi‐variate space, including two distinct groups of predators (Hemiptera versus Odonata). Given the differences in traits (especially feeding mode) across groups, this suggests that differences in ontogenetic niche shifts across species could at least partially be explained by variation in traits and functional roles of species. These results emphasise the importance of a multivariate approach to capture the large diversity of trophic niche shifts patterns possible in natural communities and suggest that differences in ontogenetic niche shifts follow general patterns.

中文翻译：

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多变量方法揭示了分类和功能组之间个体发育生态位变化的多样性

个体在个体发育过程中基本和已实现的生态位的变化在自然界中无处不在，但我们对生态位变化的哪些方面以及这些变化如何在社区内的物种之间变化知之甚少。然而，这些知识对于预测人口和社区的动态以及他们如何应对环境变化至关重要。在这里，我介绍了一系列指标，以描述基于稳定同位素的个体已实现的营养生态位变化的不同方面。将这种多变量方法应用于天然池塘群落中采样的 13 个分类和功能不同物种（两栖类、半翅目、鞘翅目、蜻蜓目）的 2,272 个个体，使我能够：（1）描述和量化个体发育中营养生态位转移模式的多样性多维空间，(2) 确定个体发生变化的哪些方面因分类群和功能组而异。结果表明，物种在营养生态位的哪些方面发生变化以及它们如何在个体发育上发生变化方面存在很大差异。有趣的是，个体发育生态位变化的模式在多元空间中的不同分类群中分组，包括两个不同的捕食者群体（半翅目与蜻蜓目）。考虑到群体间性状（尤其是饲养模式）的差异，这表明物种间个体发育生态位变化的差异至少可以部分由物种的性状和功能作用的变化来解释。