Changes in the community composition and trophic structure of microarthropods in sporocarps of the wood decaying fungus Fomitopsis pinicola along an altitudinal gradient |
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| Institution: | 1. Georg August University Göttingen, JFB Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Berliner Str. 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany;2. Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481 Grafenau, Germany;1. Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan;2. Ryukyu University Museum (Fujukan), Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan;1. University of Bremen, UFT Center for Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology, Leobener Str. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany;2. Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Am Museum 1, 02826 Görlitz, Germany;1. Department of Biology and Botanical Garden, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland;2. Department of Geoinformation in Environmental Management – CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Alsyllio Agrokepiou, 73100 Chania, Greece;3. Mediterranean Plant Conservation Unit – CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Alsyllio Agrokepiou, 73100 Chania, Greece;4. Department of Botany, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Athens, Greece;5. Institute of Biosciences and BioResources – National Research Council, Corso Calatafimi 414, 90129 Palermo, Italy;6. Natural History Museum Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 6, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland;7. Shanghai Chenshan Plant Science Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, 3888 Chenhua Road, Songjiang, 201602 Shanghai, China;1. Département des Sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), 141, Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, Québec H2X 1Y4, Canada;2. Centre d''étude de la forêt (CEF), 141, Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, Québec H2X 1Y4, Canada;3. Great Lakes Forest Centre (GLFC) of the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada;4. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF), 421 James Street South, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7E 2V6, Canada |
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| Abstract: | Soil microarthropods colonize a wide range of habitats including microhabitats such as earthworm burrows, ant nests, tree trunks, moss mats and wood decaying fungi. While many of these microhabitats have been investigated intensively, the role of wood decaying fungi as a habitat and food resource for microarthropods found little attention. We investigated the density, community structure, reproductive mode and trophic structure of microarthropods, in particular oribatid mites, in the wood decaying fungus Fomitopsis pinicola (Schwarts: Fr) Karst. along an altitudinal gradient in Germany spanning from 350 m to 1160 m. Microarthropods were extracted from sporocarps, and stable isotope ratios (15N/14N; 13C/12C) of the fungus and the microarthropods were measured. Densities of most microarthropod taxa were highest at lower altitudes and decreased with increasing altitude. Oribatid mites were the dominant animal taxon. Their community structure gradually changed with altitude. Stable isotope ratios indicated that oribatid mite and other arthropod species occupy distinct trophic niches but most do not feed on F. pinicola. Notably, species of the same genus, e.g. Carabodes, occupied different trophic niches. Most oribatid mite species in F. pinicola reproduced sexually which is similar to the bark of trees but in contrast to the soil where most species reproduce via parthenogenesis. The findings indicate that (1) at high altitudes microarthropod density in fungal fruiting bodies is limited by low temperatures reducing animal metabolism and reproduction, and this also affects oribatid mite community structure, (2) despite the uniform habitat trophic niches of oribatid mite species differ and this also applies to morphologically similar species of the same genus, and (3) feeding on F. pinicola or associated resources facilitates the dominance of sexual reproducing species. |
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| Keywords: | Microarthropods Oribatida Diversity Stable isotopes Altitude |
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