Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Collembolans feeding on soil affect carbon and nitrogen mineralization by their influence on microbial and nematode activities

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biology and Fertility of Soils Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We manipulated Collembola Folsomia candida Willem density and observed the density effect on carbon and nitrogen mineralization and on nematodes in microcosms filled with mineral soil. Collembolan densities were 0 (control), 25 (low), 100 (medium), and 400 (high) individuals per microcosm. The Collembola enhanced soil respiration and nitrogen mineralization rate in a density-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The correlation between collembolan density and the metabolic quotient of microbes, qCO2, was weakly positive (r = 0.44, P < 0.05). Collembola did not affect microbial biomass. These results suggested that enhanced carbon and nitrogen mineralization was an indirect effect of Collembola mediated by increased microbial activity. Collembola changed the Cnema/Cmic ratio, but only when present at the low density. Thus, Collembola had both positive and negative effects on the nematode population. The positive impact probably depends on the enhancement of microbial activity due to Collembola grazing behavior, while the negative effect appears to result from predation of nematodes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aescht E, Foissner W (1995) Microfauna. In: Schinner F, Öhlinger R, Kandeler E, Margesin R (eds) Methods in soil biology. Springer, Berlin, pp 316–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen-Morley CR, Coleman DC (1989) Resilience of soil biota in various food webs to freezing perturbations. Ecology 70:1127–1141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson RV, Coleman DC, Cole CV (1981) Effects of saprotrophic grazing on net mineralization. In: Clark FE, Rosswall T (eds) Terrestrial Nitrogen cycles. Ecol Bull (Stockholm) 33:201–216

  • Anderson JM, Ineson P, Huish SA (1983) Nitrogen and cation mobilization by soil fauna feeding on leaf litter and soil organic matter from deciduous woodlands. Soil Biol Biochem 15:463–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrén O, Schnürer J (1985) Barley straw decomposition with varied levels of microbial grazing by Folsomia fimetaria (L.) (Collembola, Isotomidae). Oecologia 68:57–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakonyi G (1989) Effects of Folsomia candida (Collembola) on the microbial biomass in a grasslang soil. Biol Fertil Soils 7:138–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakonyi G, Posta K, Kiss I, Fábián M, Nagy P, Nosek JN (2002) Density-dependent regulation of arbuscular mycorrhiza by collembola. Soil Biol Biochem 34:661–664

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bardgett RD, Chan KF (1999) Experimental evidence that soil fauna enhance nutrient mineralization and plant nutrient uptake in montane grassland ecosystems. Soil Biol Biochem 31:1007–1014

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bardgett RD, Whittaker JB, Frankland JC (1993) The effect of collembolan grazing on fungal activity in differently managed upland pastures: a microcosm study. Biol Fertil Soils 16:255–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beare MH, Parmelee RW, Hendrix PF, Cheng W, Coleman DC, Crossley DA Jr (1992) Microbial and faunal interactions and effects on litter nitrogen and decomposition in agroecosystems. Ecol Monogr 62:569–591

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borkott H, Insam H (1990) Symbiosis with bacteria enhances the use of chitin by the springtail, Folsomia candida (Collembola). Biol Fertil Soils 9:126–129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford MA, Jones TH, Bardgett RD, Black HIJ, Boag B, Bonkowski M, Cook R, Eggers T, Gange AC, Grayston SJ, Kandeler E, McCaig AE, Newington JE, Prosser JI, Setälä H, Staddon PL, Tordoff GM, Tscherko D, Lawton JH (2002) Impacts of soil faunal community composition on model grassland ecosystems. Science 298:615–618

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown WL (1954) Collembola feeding upon nematodes. Ecology 35:421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cragg RG, Bardgett RD (2001) How changes in soil faunal diversity and composition within a trophic group influence decomposition processes. Soil Biol Biochem 33:2073–2081

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Faber JH (1991) Functional classification of soil fauna —A new approach. Oikos 62:110–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gange A (2000) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Collembola and plant growth. Trends Ecol Evol 15:369–372

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gilmore SK (1970) Collembola predation on Nematodes. Search Agric 1:1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilmore SK, Potter DA (1993) Potential role of Collembola as biotic mortality agents for entomopathogenic nematodes. Pedobiologia 37:30–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanlon RDG (1981) Influence of grazing by Collembola on the activity of senescent fungal colonies grown on media of different nutrient concentration. Oikos 36:362–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanlon RDG, Anderson JM (1979) The effects of Collembola grazing on microbial activity in decomposing leaf litter. Oecologia 38:93–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hidaka S (1999) Nitrogen. In: Committee on the Methods of Soil Environment Analysis (eds) Methods of soil environment analysis. Hakuyu-Sha Press, Tokyo, pp 243–245 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Holland EA, Coleman DC (1987) Litter placement effects on microbial and organic matter dynamics in an agroecosystem. Ecology 68:425–433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huhta V, Sulkava P, Viberg K (1998) Interactions between enchytraeid (Cognettia sphagnetorum), microarthropod and nematode populations in forest soil at different moistures. Appl Soil Ecol 9:53–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huixin L, Inubushi K, Miwa J (2001) Effects of temperature on population growth and N mineralization of soil bacteria and a bacterial-feeding nematode. Microb Environ 16:141–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt HW, Coleman DC, Ingham ER, Ingham RE, Elliott ET, Moore JC, Rose SL, Reid CPP, Morley CR (1987) The detrital food web in a shortgrass prairie. Biol Fertil Soils 3:57–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hyvönen R, Persson T (1996) Effects of fungivorous and predatory arthropods on nematodes and tradigrades in microcosms with coniferous forest soil. Biol Fertil Soils 21:121–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ineson P, Leonard MA, Anderson JM (1982) Effect of collembolan grazing upon nitogen and cation leaching from decomposing leaf litter. Soil Biol Biochem 14:601–605

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ingham RE, Trofymow JA, Ingham ER, Coleman DC (1985) Interactions of bacteria, fungi, and their nematode grazers: effects on nutrient cycling and plant growth. Ecol Monogr 55:119–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inubushi K (1997) Method of microbial Biomass C. In: Society for the study of soil microbes (eds) Methods of experiment with soil microbe. Yoken-Do Press, Tokyo, pp 173–183 (In Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kandeler E (1995) Nitrate. In: Schinner F, Öhlinger R, Kandeler E, Margesin R (eds) Methods in soil biology. Springer, Berlin, pp 408–410

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaneda S, Kaneko N (2002) Influence of soil quality on the growth of Folsomia candida (Willem) (Collembola). Pedobiologia 46:428–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaneda S, Kaneko N (2004) The feeding preference of a collembolan (Folsomia candida Willem) on ectomycorrhiza (Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.)) varies with mycelial growth condition and vitality. Appl Soil Ecol 27:1–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klironomos JN, Kendrick B (1995) Relationships among microarthropods, fungi, and their environment. Plant Soil 170:183–197

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klironomos JN, Widden P, Deslandes I (1992) Feeding preferences of the collembolan Folsomia candida in relation to microfungal successions on decaying litter. Soil Biol Biochem 24:685–692

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laakso J, Setälä H (1999) Population- and ecosystem-level effects of predation on microbial-feeding nematodes. Oecologia 120:279–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larink O (1997) Springtails and mites: important knots in the food web of soils. In: Benckiser G (eds) Fauna in soil ecosystems: recycling processes, nutrient fluxes, and agricultural production. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 225–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Lavelle P, Spain AV (2001) Soil ecology. Kluwer, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee Q, Widden P (1996) Folsomia candida, a “fungivorous” collembolan, feeds preferentially on nematodes rather than soil fungi. Soil Biol Biochem 28:689–690

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lussenhop J (1992) Mechanisms of microarthropod-microbial interactions in soil. Adv Ecol Res 23:1–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lussenhop J (1996) Collembola as mediators of microbial symbiont effects upon soybean. Soil Biol Biochem 28:363–369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mikola J, Setälä H (1998) Productivity and trophic-level biomasses in a microbial-based soil food web. Oikos 82:158–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore JC, Ingham ER, Coleman DC (1987) Inter-and intraspecific feeding selectivity of Folsomia candida (Willem) (Collembola.Isotomidae) on fungi. Biol Fertil Soils 5:6–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Öhlinger R (1995) Maximum Water-Holding Capacity. In: Schinner F, Öhlinger R, Kandeler E, Margesin R (eds) Methods in soil biology. Springer, Berlin, pp 385–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Okada H, Ferris H (2001) Effect of temperature on growth and nitrogen mineralization of fungi and fungal-feeding nematodes. Plant Soil 234:253–262

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruess L, Sandbach P, Cudlín P, Dighton J, Crossley A (1996) Acid deposition in a spruce forest soil: effects on nematodes, mycorrhizas and fungal biomass. Pedobiologia 40:51–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruess L, Schmidt IK, Michelsen A, Jonasson S (2001) Manipulations of a microbial based soil food web at two arctic sites-evidence of species redundancy among the nematode fauna? Appl Soil Ecol 17:19–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheu S, Setälä H (2002) Multitrophic interactions in decomposer foodwebs. In: Tscharntke T, Hawkins BA (eds) Multitrophic level interactions. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 223–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Seastedt TR (1984) The role of microarthropods in decomposition and mineralization processes. Annu Rev Entomol 29:25–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Setälä H, Huhta V (1991) Soil fauna increase Betula pendula growth: laboratory experiments with coniferous forest floor. Ecology 72:665–671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stahl PD, Christensen M (1992) In vitro mycelial interactions among members of a soil microfungal community. Soil Biol Biochem 24:309–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teuben A (1991) Nutrient availability and interactions between soil arthropods and microorganisms during decomposition of coniferous litter: a mesocosm study. Biol Fertil Soils 10:256–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Teuben A, Roelofsma TAPJ (1990) Dynamic interactions between functional groups of soil arthropods and microorganisms during decomposition of coniferous litter in microcosm experiments. Biol Fertil Soils 9:145–151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thimm T, Hoffmann A, Brokott H, Munch JC, Tebbe CC (1998) The gut of the soil microarthropod Folsomia candida (Collembola) is a frequently changeable but selective habitat and a vecter for microorganisms. Appl Environ Microbiol 64:2660–2669

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vance ED, Brookes PC, Jenkinson DS (1987) An extracted method for measuring soil microbial biomass C. Soil Biol Biochem 19:686–696

    Google Scholar 

  • Visser S, Whittaker JB, Parkinson D (1981) Effects of collembolan grazing on nutrient release and respiration of a leaf litter inhabiting fungus. Soil Biol Biochem 13:215–218

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walter DE, Hunt HW, Elliott ET (1988) Guilds or functional groups? An analysis of predatory arthropods from a shortgrass steppe soil. Pedobiologia 31:247–260

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We express our gratitude to Professor Emeritus Hiroshi Tamura, Ibaraki University, for identification of the Collembola. We acknowledge the helpful discussion of Ms. M. Yasuda, Yokohama National University, and members of the Soil Ecology Research Group, Yokohama National University. We also are grateful to Jan Frouz, Institute of Soil Biology, Biological Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, for his helpful comments. We thank the anonymous referees for their useful comments on the paper. Senior author was supported by JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists. The study was also partly supported by research plan AV0260660521 given to the Institute of Soil Biology BC ASCR.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Satoshi Kaneda

    Present address: Institute of Soil Biology, Biological Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na sadkach 7, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil Ecology Research Group, Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 2408501, Yokohama, Japan

    Satoshi Kaneda & Nobuhiro Kaneko

Authors
  1. Satoshi Kaneda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nobuhiro Kaneko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satoshi Kaneda.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kaneda, S., Kaneko, N. Collembolans feeding on soil affect carbon and nitrogen mineralization by their influence on microbial and nematode activities. Biol Fertil Soils 44, 435–442 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-007-0222-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-007-0222-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation