Microcosms and soil Ecology: Critical Linkages between Fields Studies and Modelling Food Webs

Moore, John C.; Ruiter, Peter C. de; Hunt, H. W.; Coleman, David C.; Freckman, Diana W.

doi:10.2307/2265494

Cited by 81 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…While these releases of nutrients varied by individual tree species, they were generally greater in later stages of decay, suggesting that successional dynamics and stand development would also be important factors in determining when CWM would influence below ground communities [8]. In agricultural field trials and microcosm experiments, detrital deposition of basic metabolic building blocks such as C, N and P are important drivers for soil food webs [14]. In addition to potential changes in C and nutrients, CWM may directly affect forest soils by modifying soil moisture and temperature [15,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Localized Effects of Coarse Woody Material on Soil Oribatid Communities Diminish over 700 Years of Stand Development in Black-Spruce-Feathermoss Forests

Doblas‐Miranda

Work

2015

Forests

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Abstract:In the black-spruce clay-belt region of Western Québec, soil nutrients are limited due to paludification. Under paludified conditions, nutrient subsidies from decomposing surface coarse woody material (CWM) may be important particularly during the later stages of ecosystem development when deadwood from senescent trees has accumulated. For soil organisms, CWM can alter microclimatic conditions and resource availability. We compared abundance and species richness of oribatid mites below or adjacent to CWM across a chronosequence which spans ca. 700 years of stand development. We hypothesized that oribatid abundance and richness would be greater under the logs, particularly in later stages of forest development when logs may act as localized sources of carbon and nutrients in the paludified substrate. However, oribatid density was lower directly under CWM than adjacent to CWM but these differences were attenuated with time. We suggest that oribatids may be affected by soil compaction and also that such microarthropods are most likely feeding on recently fallen leaf litter, which may be rendered inaccessible by the presence of overlying CWM. This may also explain the progressive decline in oribatid density and diversity with time, which are presumably caused by decreases in litter availability due to self-thinning and Sphagnum growth. This is also supported by changes of different oribatid trophic groups, as litter feeders maintain different numbers relative to CWM with time while more generalist fungi feeders only show differences related to position in the beginning of the succession. OPEN ACCESSForests 2015, 6 915

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Localized Effects of Coarse Woody Material on Soil Oribatid Communities Diminish over 700 Years of Stand Development in Black-Spruce-Feathermoss Forests

Doblas‐Miranda

Work

2015

Forests

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“…Experimental communities help answering some of these questions (Jessup et al, 2005) and are useful to explain the interactive processes between the microbiota of a complex ecosystem and the different environmental conditions (Moore et al, 1996). An area of growing interest is biocontrol, which can be studied in the context of biological invasions, since biocontrol isolates must be able to colonize and grow in a recipient community.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing a SCAR molecular marker for monitoring Trichoderma cf. harzianum in experimental communities

Perez

Verdejo

Gondim-Porto

et al. 2014

J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B

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Several species of the fungal genus Trichoderma establish biological interactions with various micro-and macro-organisms. Some of these interactions are relevant in ecological terms and in biotechnological applications, such as biocontrol, where Trichoderma could be considered as an invasive species that colonizes a recipient community. The success of this invasion depends on multiple factors, which can be assayed using experimental communities as study models. Therefore, the aim of this work is to develop a species-specific sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker to monitor the colonization and growth of T. cf. harzianum when it invades experimental communities. For this study, 16 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers of 10-mer were used to generate polymorphic patterns, one of which generated a band present only in strains of T. cf. harzianum. This band was cloned, sequenced, and five primers of 20-23 mer were designed. Primer pairs 2F2/2R2 and 2F2/2R3 successfully and specifically amplified fragments of 278 and 448 bp from the T. cf. harzianum BpT10a strain DNA, respectively. Both primer pairs were also tested against the DNA from 14 strains of T. cf. harzianum and several strains of different fungal genera as specificity controls. Only the DNA from the strains of T. cf. harzianum was successfully amplified. Moreover, primer pair 2F2/2R2 was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using fungal DNA mixtures and DNA extracted from fungal experimental communities as templates. T. cf. harzianum was detectable even when as few as 100 copies of the SCAR marker were available or even when its population represented only 0.1% of the whole community.

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“…It is advantageous to use mini ecosystem experiments to examine processes taking place in soil because they can be studied easily under laboratory circumstances thanks to their small size and short generation time of the soil biota. In addition, microcosms are good models for recognizing interactions among organisms living in soil (Moore et al, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oribatid Mites (Acari: Oribatida) in Microcosms - A Review

Gergócs¹

2011

Appl Ecol Env Res

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Abstract. Oribatid mites are one of the most abundant and species rich group in soil mesofauna. In spite of this, we have limited knowledge on the role they play in ecological processes. Since they are small like other mesofauna members and live a hidden life, their observation is difficult. Their life style, interactions with other organisms and role in soil decomposition processes can be investigated with laboratory experiments more exactly and effectively. While the literature of microcosm studies is very extensive, relatively few review papers have been written about the methodology of microcosm studies. The present review summarizes details of techniques that have been applied laboratory microcosms involving oribatid mites. It is shown what one should keep in mind in planning, composing and setting up a microcosm. Our comparative evaluation reveals how the laboratory experiments were maintained and manipulated and what kind of information was extracted. This methodological review can be useful in preparing microcosm experiments applied to other animal groups as well.

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Microcosms and soil Ecology: Critical Linkages between Fields Studies and Modelling Food Webs

Cited by 81 publications

References 37 publications

Localized Effects of Coarse Woody Material on Soil Oribatid Communities Diminish over 700 Years of Stand Development in Black-Spruce-Feathermoss Forests

Localized Effects of Coarse Woody Material on Soil Oribatid Communities Diminish over 700 Years of Stand Development in Black-Spruce-Feathermoss Forests

Designing a SCAR molecular marker for monitoring Trichoderma cf. harzianum in experimental communities

Oribatid Mites (Acari: Oribatida) in Microcosms - A Review

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