Summary
Many detritus-feeders prefer dead leaves which are colonized by microorganisms-i.e. conditioned leaves, over freshly fallen or sterile leaves. Traditionally, this has been attributed to the build-up of microbial cells on the substrate. Two experiments show that changes in the leaf itself, brought about by microbial excretions and secretions, or by a hydrolytic agent (hot HCl), can also increase its palatability to the detritus-feeding amphipod Gammarus pseudolimnaeus.
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Bärlocher, F., Kendrick, B. Leaf-conditioning by microorganisms. Oecologia 20, 359–362 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00345526
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00345526