Do preservation methods affect the identification of dietary components from faecal samples? A case study using a mycophagous marsupial

Zosky, K., Bryant, K.A., Calver, M.C. and Wayne, A. (2010) Do preservation methods affect the identification of dietary components from faecal samples? A case study using a mycophagous marsupial. Australian Mammalogy, 32 (2). pp. 173-176.

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.