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Food sources of early colonising arthropods: The importance of allochthonous input

Ingimarsdottir, Maria LU ; Michelsen, Anders ; Ripa, Jörgen LU orcid and Hedlund, Katarina LU orcid (2014) In Pedobiologia 57(1). p.21-26
Abstract
Arthropod predators and detritivores are among the first colonisers on land surfaces undergoing primary succession. In the absence of higher plants and herbivores, they may either have an allochthonous food source (i.e. of geographically distant origin) or local food source that is sustained by e.g. microorganisms. By studying spiders and collembolans on sites along chronosequences on recently emerged nunataks (ice-free land in glacial areas), we analysed whether the food source of early colonisers was of local or distant origin. Also, we measured the potential changes in trophic position with increasing site age. With stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of both spiders and collembolans, we determined that allochthonous food... (More)
Arthropod predators and detritivores are among the first colonisers on land surfaces undergoing primary succession. In the absence of higher plants and herbivores, they may either have an allochthonous food source (i.e. of geographically distant origin) or local food source that is sustained by e.g. microorganisms. By studying spiders and collembolans on sites along chronosequences on recently emerged nunataks (ice-free land in glacial areas), we analysed whether the food source of early colonisers was of local or distant origin. Also, we measured the potential changes in trophic position with increasing site age. With stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of both spiders and collembolans, we determined that allochthonous food sources are important on the youngest sites. The allochthonous food sources may explain how arthropods can persist in the absence of local primary productivity. Also, some spider species may increase their ability to survive by shifting their trophic position as the community composition changes. The results indicate that a wolf spider species shifted towards a lower trophic level with increasing site age. By contrast, no shifts in trophic position were observed for sheet-web spiders or collembolans. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Iceland, Carbon and nitrogen, Isotomidae, Linyphiidae, Lycosidae, Stable isotopes
in
Pedobiologia
volume
57
issue
1
pages
21 - 26
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:84894251226
  • wos:000333511200004
ISSN
1873-1511
DOI
10.1016/j.pedobi.2013.09.004
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9c030306-fd2c-49c5-b732-851b95817535 (old id 5159502)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:30:36
date last changed
2024-05-09 22:33:55
@article{9c030306-fd2c-49c5-b732-851b95817535,
  abstract     = {{Arthropod predators and detritivores are among the first colonisers on land surfaces undergoing primary succession. In the absence of higher plants and herbivores, they may either have an allochthonous food source (i.e. of geographically distant origin) or local food source that is sustained by e.g. microorganisms. By studying spiders and collembolans on sites along chronosequences on recently emerged nunataks (ice-free land in glacial areas), we analysed whether the food source of early colonisers was of local or distant origin. Also, we measured the potential changes in trophic position with increasing site age. With stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of both spiders and collembolans, we determined that allochthonous food sources are important on the youngest sites. The allochthonous food sources may explain how arthropods can persist in the absence of local primary productivity. Also, some spider species may increase their ability to survive by shifting their trophic position as the community composition changes. The results indicate that a wolf spider species shifted towards a lower trophic level with increasing site age. By contrast, no shifts in trophic position were observed for sheet-web spiders or collembolans.}},
  author       = {{Ingimarsdottir, Maria and Michelsen, Anders and Ripa, Jörgen and Hedlund, Katarina}},
  issn         = {{1873-1511}},
  keywords     = {{Iceland; Carbon and nitrogen; Isotomidae; Linyphiidae; Lycosidae; Stable isotopes}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{21--26}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Pedobiologia}},
  title        = {{Food sources of early colonising arthropods: The importance of allochthonous input}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2013.09.004}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.pedobi.2013.09.004}},
  volume       = {{57}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}