Slow-moving soil organisms on a water highway: aquatic dispersal and survival potential of Oribatida and Collembola in running water.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Oribatida and Collembola are an important part of the soil food web and increase soil fertility by contributing to the recycling of nutrients out of dead organic matter. Active locomotion enables only limited dispersal in these tiny, wingless arthropods, while passive dispersal plays an important role for long-distance dispersal. Previous investigations have focused on passive transport by wind, other animals, or sea currents, whereas studies on transport via running water are missing. However, previous observation of the long survival of submerged terrestrial microarthropods makes passive dispersal with running water very likely.

Methods

By combining field and lab experiments, we studied the potential for passive dispersal of oribatid mites with running water. We

SUBMITTER: Schuppenhauer MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6604229 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature