Journal ArticleDOI
Feeding guilds in Collembola based on nitrogen stable isotope ratios
TLDR
Investigation of nitrogen stable isotope ratios (15N/14N) of a major decomposer group, the Collembola, is investigated to evaluate trophic relationship and determine feeding guilds, suggesting that trophIC niches of Colleembola species differ and this likely contributes to ColleMBola species diversity.Abstract:
In soil a high number of species co-exist without extensive niche differentiation, which was assigned as ‘the enigma of soil animal species diversity’. In particular, the detritivores are regarded as food generalists. We have investigated nitrogen stable isotope ratios (15N/14N) of a major decomposer group, the Collembola, to evaluate trophic relationship and determine feeding guilds. Additionally, the δ15N values of potential food sources such as mosses, lichens and other plant derived material (bark, nuts, leaves) were analysed. The natural variation in nitrogen isotopes was assessed in 20 Collembola taxa from three deciduous forest stands. The δ15N signature formed a continuum from phycophages/herbivores to primary and secondary decomposers, reflecting a gradual shift from more detrital to more microbial diets. The δ15N gradient spanned over 9 δ units, which implies a wide range in food sources used. Assuming a shift in 15N of about 3 ‰ per trophic level, the results indicate a range of three trophic levels. These variations in 15N/14N ratios suggest that trophic niches of Collembola species differ and this likely contributes to Collembola species diversity.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
The underestimated importance of belowground carbon input for forest soil animal food webs.
TL;DR: In plots with only ( 13)C-labelled leaf litter only three taxa, including, e.g. juvenile Glomeris spp.
Journal ArticleDOI
Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in soil ecological studies
TL;DR: Stable isotope ecology and patterns of stable isotope fractionation during organic matter decomposition are considered with special emphasis on the fractionation of isotopes in food chains and the use ofstable isotope studies of trophic relationships between soil animals in the field.
Journal ArticleDOI
Stable isotope fingerprinting: a novel method for identifying plant, fungal, or bacterial origins of amino acids
TL;DR: It is suggested that 13C fingerprints of amino acids could provide a powerful in situ assay of the biosynthetic sources of amino acid and a potential new tool for understanding nutritional linkages in food webs.
Journal ArticleDOI
Trophic regulations of the soil microbiome
Madhav P. Thakur,Stefan Geisen +1 more
TL;DR: It is highlighted that the structure and function of the soil microbiome depend on the interactive effects among predation, plant inputs, and abiotic variables present in the soil.
Journal ArticleDOI
Compartmentalization of the soil animal food web as indicated by dual analysis of stable isotope ratios (15N/14N and 13C/12C)
TL;DR: Analysis of animals, roots, soil and litter material from a temperate deciduous forest provided insights into the compartmentalization of the soil animal food web and suggests that the largest trophic compartment constitutes of ectomycorrhizal feeders and their predators.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Using stable isotopes to estimate trophic position: models, methods, and assumptions
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed and discussed methods for generating an isotopic baseline and evaluate the assump- tions required to estimate the trophic position of consumers using stable isotopes in multiple ecosystem studies.
Journal ArticleDOI
Stepwise enrichment of 15N along food chains: Further evidence and the relation between δ15N and animal age
Masao Minagawa,Eitaro Wada +1 more
TL;DR: The isotopic composition of nitrogen was measured in marine and fresh-water animals from the East China Sea, The Bering Sea, Lake Ashinoko and Usujiri intertidal zone as mentioned in this paper.
Journal ArticleDOI
Variation in trophic shift for stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur
TL;DR: For example, this article found that the trophic shift for C was lower for consumers acidified prior to analysis than for unacidified samples ( +0.5 + 0.13%o rather than 0.0%o, as commonly assumed).
Journal ArticleDOI
Sources of variation in consumer-diet δ15N enrichment: a meta-analysis
TL;DR: Overall, the analyses point to several important sources of variation in δ15N enrichment and suggest that the most important of them are the main biochemical form of nitrogen excretion and nutritional status.
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