Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Collembolan dietary specialisation on soil grown fungi

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

Abstract

Preferences of six collembolans for eight species of microfungi grown in soil have been investigated. Collembolans (Folsomia fimetaria, Isotoma anglicana, Isotama notabilis, Heteromurus nitidus, Protaphorura armata, Pseudosinella alba) and microfungi where chosen for the experiment on the basis of their abundance and vertical distribution in an organically grown field where all organisms and soil were collected. Collembolans were tested with pairs of different species of microfungi and a control (sterile soil) in petri dishes and their position determined after 90 min. Based on the first two axes in a Principal Component Analysis we could identify two main feeding patterns in the collembolans: (1) their general acceptance of the fungi (the mean value of the preference indices for all eight fungi), and (2) their alternating preference for Cladosporium herbarum and Fusarium culmorum (high preference index for C. herbarum and low for F. culmorum or vice versa). The six collembolan species in our study combined these two feeding patterns with an intraspecific preference for the eight fungal species and seemed to minimise food competition among collembolans co-occurring in the same soil horizons. Our data suggest that differences in preference between collembolan species may help to explain the coexistence of many species in the same microhabitats of the soil.

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. 1A, B
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aitchison CW (1983) Low temperature and preferred feeding by winter active Collembola (Insecta, Apterygota). Pedobiologia 25:27–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Andersen B, Thrane U, Svendsen A, Rasmussen IA (1996) Associated field mycobiota on malt barley. Can J Bot 74:854–858

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson JM (1975) The enigma of soil animal species diversity. In: Vanek J (ed) Progress in soil zoology. The Hague, Prague, pp 51–58

  • Anderson JM (1978) Competition between two unrelated species of soil Cryptostigmata (Acari) in experimental microcosms. J Anim Ecol 47:787–803

    Google Scholar 

  • Bardgett RD, Whittaker JB, Frankland JC (1993) The diet and food preferences of Onychiurus procampatus (Collembola) from upland grassland soils. Biol Fertil Soils 16:296–298

    Google Scholar 

  • Barker JSF, Vacek DC, East PD (1988) Attraction of larvae of Drosophila buzattii and D. aldrichi to yeast species isolated from their natural environment. Aust J Zool 36:53–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Bengtsson G, Ohlsson L, Rundgren S (1985) Influence of fungi on growth and survival of Onychinrus armatus (Collembola) in a metal polluted soil. Oecologia 68:63–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Bengtsson G, Erlandsson A, Rundgren S (1988) Fungal odour attracts soil Collembola. Soil Biol Biochem 20:25–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burgess LW (1981) General ecology of the Fusaria. In: Nelson PE, Toussoun TA, Cook RJ (eds) Fusarium: diseases, biology and taxonomy. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, Pa., pp 806–833

  • Chen B, Snider RJ, Snider RM (1995) Food preference and effects of food type on the life history of some Collembola. Pedobiologia 39:496–505

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen B, Snider RJ, Snider RM (1996) Food consumption by Collembola from northern Michigan deciduous forest. Pedobiologia 40:149–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke DE, Christensen M (1981) The soil micro fungal community of a South-Dakota USA grassland. Can J Bot 59:1950–1960

    Google Scholar 

  • Elmholt S (1991) Side effects of propiconazole (Tilt 250 EC) on target soil fungi in a field trial compared with natural stress effects. Microb Ecol 22:99–108

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gams W, Hoekstra ES, Aptroot A (1998) CBS course of mycology, 4th edn. Centraalbuteau voor Schimmelcultures, Wageningen

  • Hågvar (1983) Collembola in Norwegian coniferous forest soils II. Vertical distribution. Pedobiologia 25:383–401

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall M, Hedlund K (1999) The predatory mite Hypoaspis aculeifer is attracted to food of its fungivorous prey. Pedobiologia 43:11–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedlund K, Bengtsson G, Rundgren S (1995) Fungal odour discrimination in two sympatric species of fungivorous collembolans. Funct Ecol 9:869–875

    Google Scholar 

  • Hestbjerg H (1999) Mycometabolites in the ecology of Fusarium—exemplified by characterisation of F. culmorum and F. equiseti. Ph.D. thesis, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen

  • Hestbjerg H, Elmholt S, Thrane U, Jensen UB (1999) A resource-saving method for isolation of Fusarium and other fungi from individual soil particles. Mycol Res 103:1545–1548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hestbjerg H, Nielsen KF, Thrane U, Elmholt S (2002) Production of trichothecenes and other secondary metabolites by Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium equiseti on common laboratory media and a soil organic matter agar: an ecological interpretation. J Agric Food Chem 50:7593–7599

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hopkin SP (1997) Biology of the Springtails (Insecta: Collembola). Oxford University Press, Oxford

  • Kaneko N, McLean MA, Parkinson D (1995) Grazing preference of Onychiurus subtenuis (Collembola) and Oppiella nova (Oribatei) for fungal species inoculated on pine needles. Pedobiologia 39:538–546

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaneko N, McLean MA, Parkinson D (1998) Do mites and Collembola affect pine litter fungal biomass and microbial respiration. Appl Soil Ecol 9:209–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    CAS  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lartey RT, Curl EA, Peterson CM, Harper JD (1989). Mycophagous grazing and food preference of Proisotoma minuta (Collembola: Isotomidae) and Onychiurus encarpatus (Collembola: Onychiuridae). Environ Entomol 18:334–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Lavy D, Verhoef HA (1996) Effects of food quality on growth and body composition of the collembolan Orchesella cincta. Physiol Entomol 21:64–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonard MA (1984) Observations on the influence of culture conditions of the fungal feeding preferences of Folsomia candida (Collembola: Isotomidae). Pedobiologia 26:361–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Munkholm LJ, Schjonning P, Rasmussen KJ (2001) Non-inversion tillage effects on soil mechanical properties of a humid sandy loam. Soil Till Res 62:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nirenberg HI (1981) A simplified method for identifying Fusarium spp. occurring on wheat. Can J Bot 59:1599–1609

    Google Scholar 

  • Petersen H (1980) Population dynamic and metabolic characterization of Collembola species in a beech forest ecosystem. In: Dindal DL (ed) Soil biology as related to land use practices. EPA 560/13-80-038. EPA, Washington, D.C., pp 806–833

  • Petersen H (2002a) General aspects of collembolan ecology at the turn of the millennium. Pedobiologia 46:246–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Petersen H (2002b) Effects of non-inverting deep tillage vs. conventional ploughing on collembolan populations in an organic wheat field. Eur J Soil Biol 38:177–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen H, Luxton M (1982) A comparative analysis of soil fauna populations and their role in decomposition processes. Oikos 39:288–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Ponge JF (2000) Vertical distribution of Collembola (Hexapoda) and their food resources in organic horizons of beech forests. Biol Fertil Soils 32:508–522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rice WR (1989) Analyzing tables of statistical tests. Evolution 43:223–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez C, Bettucci L, Roquebert MF (1990) Fungal communities of volcanic ash soils along an altitudinal gradient in Mexico: II. Vertical distribution. Pedobiologia 34:51–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabatini MA, Innocenti G (1995) Interactions between Collembola and soil-borne cereal pathogen Fungi. Pol Pismo Entomol 64:191–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Salmon S, Ponge JF (1999) Distribution of Heteromurus nitidus (Hexapoda, Collembola) according to soil acidity: interactions with earthworms and predator pressure. Soil Biol Biochem 31:1161–1170

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz PA (1991) Grazing preference of two Collembola species, Folsomia candida and Proisotoma minuta, for ectomycorrhizal fungi. Pedobiologia 35:313–325

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw PJA (1988) A consistent hierarchy in the fungal feeding preferences of the Collembola Onychiurus armatus. Pedobiologia 31:179–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel S, Castellan NJJ (1988) Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York

  • Simonsen V, Filser J, Krogh PH, Fjellberg A (1999) Three species of Isotoma (Collembola, Isotomidae) based on morphology, isozymes and ecology. Zool Sci 28:281–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Söderström BE, Bååth E (1978) Soil microfungi in three Swedish coniferous forests. Holarct Ecol 1:62–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Vardavakis E (1986) Vertical distribution and seasonal fluctuations of cellulolytic fungi in a typic calcixeroll soil in Greece. Trans Br Mycol Soc 86:668–672

    Google Scholar 

  • Vegter JJ (1983) Food and habitat specialization in coexisting springtails (Collembola, Entomobryidae). Pedobiologia 25:253–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Verhoef HA, Prast JE, Verweij RA (1988) Relative importance of fungi and algae in the diet and nitrogen nutrition of Orchesella cincta (L.) and Tomocerus minor (Lubbock) (Collembola). Funct Ecol 2:195–201

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the technical staff at NERI, Silkeborg, for expert help with species determination of live collembolans and for their incredible patience in finding each of the ten collembolans in the end of the preference experiments, and Jørgen Munksgaard Nielsen for technical advice with the fungi. We would also like to thank Katarina Hedlund, Jørgen Aagaard Axelsen and two anonymous referees for very beneficial comments on the manuscript and K. Hedlund for statistical advice. The research was done within the project “Quantitative and qualitative interactions between soil tillage, micro flora, fauna and timing of nitrogen release in organic farming” under the Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming and was partly funded by the Danish Environmental Research Institute.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Terrestrial Ecology, National Environmental Research Institute, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark

    Helene Bracht Jørgensen

  2. Department of Animal Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Helene Bracht Jørgensen

  3. Department of Agroecology, Danish Institute of Agricultural Science, P.O. Box 50, 8830, Tjele, Denmark

    Susanne Elmholt

  4. Mols Laboratory, Natural History Museum, Femmöller, 8400, Ebeltoft, Denmark

    Henning Petersen

Authors
  1. Helene Bracht Jørgensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Susanne Elmholt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Henning Petersen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helene Bracht Jørgensen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jørgensen, H.B., Elmholt, S. & Petersen, H. Collembolan dietary specialisation on soil grown fungi. Biol Fertil Soils 39, 9–15 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-003-0674-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-003-0674-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation