Food preference in the woodlouse <i>Porcellio scaber</i> (Isopoda) in a choice test with fungicidal GM wheat

Bigler, I.; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Lindfeld, Andreas

doi:10.1111/j.1439-0418.2011.01622.x

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Similarly, litterbag studies in the field revealed no difference in the decomposition rate of plant material from GM and non-GM wheat lines [39] . Our results are furthermore in agreement with other laboratory, semi-field, and field studies that were performed in this joint project and that detected no impacts of the GM wheat lines on soil microorganisms [40] , soil inhabiting annelids [38] , or arthropods [28] , [41] – [43] .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Infestation of Transgenic Powdery Mildew-Resistant Wheat by Naturally Occurring Insect Herbivores under Different Environmental Conditions

2011

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A concern associated with the growing of genetically modified (GM) crops is that they could adversely affect non-target organisms. We assessed the impact of several transgenic powdery mildew-resistant spring wheat lines on insect herbivores. The GM lines carried either the Pm3b gene from hexaploid wheat, which confers race-specific resistance to powdery mildew, or the less specific anti-fungal barley seed chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase. In addition to the non-transformed control lines, several conventional spring wheat varieties and barley and triticale were included for comparison. During two consecutive growing seasons, powdery mildew infection and the abundance of and damage by naturally occurring herbivores were estimated under semi-field conditions in a convertible glasshouse and in the field. Mildew was reduced on the Pm3b-transgenic lines but not on the chitinase/glucanase-expressing lines. Abundance of aphids was negatively correlated with powdery mildew in the convertible glasshouse, with Pm3b wheat plants hosting significantly more aphids than their mildew-susceptible controls. In contrast, aphid densities did not differ between GM plants and their non-transformed controls in the field, probably because of low mildew and aphid pressure at this location. Likewise, the GM wheat lines did not affect the abundance of or damage by the herbivores Oulema melanopus (L.) and Chlorops pumilionis Bjerk. Although a previous study has revealed that some of the GM wheat lines show pleiotropic effects under field conditions, their effect on herbivorous insects appears to be low.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Infestation of Transgenic Powdery Mildew-Resistant Wheat by Naturally Occurring Insect Herbivores under Different Environmental Conditions

2011

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“…Soil fauna organisms could be affected by GM crops by feeding on living GM plant material (herbivores), on prey containing GM products (predators), on plant residuals (detritivores) or may get in contact with GM products via root exudates [6]. In earlier works about antifungal GM wheat, no detrimental effects were found on the performance of collembolans, dipteran larvae and enchytraeids or at least differences between GM and non-GM wheat were inconsistent and lay within differences among conventional wheat varieties [5], [7]–[9]. However, these studies were all done in the laboratory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

No Adverse Effect of Genetically Modified Antifungal Wheat on Decomposition Dynamics and the Soil Fauna Community – A Field Study

2011

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The cultivation of genetically modified (GM) plants has raised several environmental concerns. One of these concerns regards non-target soil fauna organisms, which play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter and hence are largely exposed to GM plant residues. Soil fauna may be directly affected by transgene products or indirectly by pleiotropic effects such as a modified plant metabolism. Thus, ecosystem services and functioning might be affected negatively. In a litterbag experiment in the field we analysed the decomposition process and the soil fauna community involved. Therefore, we used four experimental GM wheat varieties, two with a race-specific antifungal resistance against powdery mildew (Pm3b) and two with an unspecific antifungal resistance based on the expression of chitinase and glucanase. We compared them with two non-GM isolines and six conventional cereal varieties. To elucidate the mechanisms that cause differences in plant decomposition, structural plant components (i.e. C∶N ratio, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose) were examined and soil properties, temperature and precipitation were monitored. The most frequent taxa extracted from decaying plant material were mites (Cryptostigmata, Gamasina and Uropodina), springtails (Isotomidae), annelids (Enchytraeidae) and Diptera (Cecidomyiidae larvae). Despite a single significant transgenic/month interaction for Cecidomyiidae larvae, which is probably random, we detected no impact of the GM wheat on the soil fauna community. However, soil fauna differences among conventional cereal varieties were more pronounced than between GM and non-GM wheat. While leaf residue decomposition in GM and non-GM wheat was similar, differences among conventional cereals were evident. Furthermore, sampling date and location were found to greatly influence soil fauna community and decomposition processes. The results give no indication of ecologically relevant adverse effects of antifungal GM wheat on the composition and the activity of the soil fauna community.

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“…Soil biota performs practical roles in any ecosystem processes (Menta, 2012).The community of terrestrial fauna is an important component of soil ecosystem for the essential roles that plays as driving force in soil processes such as litter decomposition, nutrient mineralization, and the change of soil physical structure (Wu 2006;Huhta 2007 andCarlesso et al, 2019). They also provide many other important services for the ecosystem such as: solubilization, decomposition of soil organic matter, immobilization, nitrogen fixation which are important for plant growth and nutrient cycling (Brussaard 1998;Lavelle et al, 2006 andBigler et al, 2012). These creatures include isopods, earthworms, lumbricids, diplopods, dipteran larvae, and termites (Wood et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Structure of Isopods (Oniscidea) at Different Orchards in Assiut, Egypt

2019

Assiut University Journal of Multidisciplinary Scientific Resea

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Terrestrial isopods provide many important services for the ecosystem such as litter decomposition, nutrient mineralization. The present study aimed to make a survey of the distribution of isopods as leaf litter decomposers; in five different orchards during winter and summer and effects of some ecological factors on them. Isopod samples were collected by a tin quadrate sampler (20 X 20 cm.). Some of ecological factors were measured, air and soil temperature, humidity, pH, conductivity, soil water content and organic matter content. In the present study, five isopod species were recorded. Porcellio laevis and Porcellionides pruinosus were eudominant while the other three species were subdominant. P. laevis recorded the highest value of total isopods mean and standard deviation (SD) and that was in site 1. In addition, ANOVA and Duncan comparison showed that total abundance of isopods had no significant difference with the studied seasons but they significantly varied with sites during the whole period of investigation. Species richness and Shannon diversity index recorded their highest values in site 3, then in site 2. The clusters analysis of isopods abundance according to the five studied sites showed that: (a) Leptotrichus naupliensis and Chaetophiloscia hastata were the most similar species in the cluster of isopods abundance. (b) P. laevis was similar to P. pruinosus. Canonical Corresponding Analysis (CCA) of Isopoda and ecological factors revealed that: P. laevi shad positive correlation with air temperature followed by soil water content and soil temperature. Thus, P. laevis and P. pruinosus were the most dominant and abundant species and they both have the ability to live and acclimate with different conditions of the arable fields; of Assiut governorate more than the others.

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Food preference in the woodlouse Porcellio scaber (Isopoda) in a choice test with fungicidal GM wheat

Cited by 3 publications

References 43 publications

Infestation of Transgenic Powdery Mildew-Resistant Wheat by Naturally Occurring Insect Herbivores under Different Environmental Conditions

Infestation of Transgenic Powdery Mildew-Resistant Wheat by Naturally Occurring Insect Herbivores under Different Environmental Conditions

No Adverse Effect of Genetically Modified Antifungal Wheat on Decomposition Dynamics and the Soil Fauna Community – A Field Study

Community Structure of Isopods (Oniscidea) at Different Orchards in Assiut, Egypt

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