Open Access
Trophic niche differentiation in soil microarthropods (Oribatida, Acari): evidence from stable isotope ratios ( 15 N/ 14 N)
Katja Schneider,Sonja Migge,Roy A. Norton,Stefan Scheu,Reinhard Langel,A. Reineking,Mark Maraun +6 more
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TLDR
This study for the first time documented strong trophic niche differentiation in decomposer microarthropods and suggests that trophics niche differentiation within taxonomic groups significantly contributes to the high diversity of soil animal taxa.Abstract:
The large number of animals that coexist in soil without any clear niche differentiation has puzzled biologists for a long time. We investigated stable isotope ratios ( 15 N/ 14 N) in a diverse group of soil microarthropods, oribatid mites, to evaluate trophic niche differentiation. The natural variation of the stable isotopes 15 N/ 14 N was measured in 36 species/taxa from four beech and beech-oak forests. Signatures of d 15 N formed a gradient spanning over 12 d units suggesting that (a) different species occupy different trophic niches and (b) oribatid mites span three to four trophic levels. This study for the first time documented strong trophic niche differentiation in decomposer microarthropods. The results suggest that trophic niche differentiation within taxonomic groups significantly contributes to the high diversity of soil animal taxa. q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.read more
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Influence of Diet On the Distribtion of Nitrogen Isotopes in Animals
Michael J. DeNiro,Samuel Epstein +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of diet on the distribution of nitrogen isotopes in animals was investigated by analyzing animals grown in the laboratory on diets of constant nitrogen isotopic composition and found that the variability of the relationship between the δ^(15)N values of animals and their diets is greater for different individuals raised on the same diet than for the same species raised on different diets.
Journal ArticleDOI
Feeding guilds in Collembola based on nitrogen stable isotope ratios
TL;DR: 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.
Book ChapterDOI
Mesocosm Experiments as a Tool for Ecological Climate-Change Research
Rebecca Stewart,Matteo Dossena,David A. Bohan,Erik Jeppesen,Rebecca L. Kordas,Mark E. Ledger,Mariana Meerhoff,Mariana Meerhoff,Brian Moss,Christian Mulder,Jonathan B. Shurin,Blake Suttle,Ross M. Thompson,Mark Trimmer,Guy Woodward +14 more
TL;DR: A new database of over 250 post-1990 studies that have explored different components of climate change across a range of organisational levels, scales, and habitats is constructed and issues related to realism, reproducibility and control are assessed.
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
Toward a complete soil C and N cycle : Incorporating the soil fauna
TL;DR: A new framework that attempts to reconcile the role of soil fauna within the C and N cycle with biogeochemical models and soil food web models is introduced and a simple stoichiometric approach is considered to integrate the understanding of N mineralization and immobilization with the C:N ratio of substrates and faunal life history characteristics.
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
Influence of diet on the distribution of nitrogen isotopes in animals
Michael J. DeNiro,Samuel Epstein +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of diet on the distribution of nitrogen isotopes in animals was investigated by analyzing animals grown in the laboratory on diets of constant nitrogen isotopic composition and found that the variability of the relationship between the δ(15)N values of animals and their diets is greater for different individuals raised on the same diet than for the same species raised on different diets.
Influence of Diet On the Distribtion of Nitrogen Isotopes in Animals
Michael J. DeNiro,Samuel Epstein +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of diet on the distribution of nitrogen isotopes in animals was investigated by analyzing animals grown in the laboratory on diets of constant nitrogen isotopic composition and found that the variability of the relationship between the δ^(15)N values of animals and their diets is greater for different individuals raised on the same diet than for the same species raised on different diets.
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
Resource Partitioning in Ecological Communities
TL;DR: To conclude with a list of questions appropriate for studies of resource partitioning, questions this article has related to the theory in a preliminary way.
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