1 / 10

Winter adaptations of the leaf litter and soil arthropod Collembola

What are Collembola, and why the heck do we care?. Primitive, wingless, non-insect HexapodsLeaf litter decomposersDiets composed of fungi and algae*. *Verhoef et al., 1988. Components of winter ecology we have seen. Adaptations to coldEvidence of biotic soil activityBelow-snow temperatures that support lifeThe Antarctic is cold .

paul2
Download Presentation

Winter adaptations of the leaf litter and soil arthropod Collembola

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

    1. Winter adaptations of the leaf litter and soil arthropod Collembola OR: Are these guys living amongst us? Jeff McClenahan March, 2006

    3. Components of winter ecology we have seen Adaptations to cold Evidence of biotic soil activity Below-snow temperatures that support life The Antarctic is cold

    4. Winter active species Ceratophsella sigillata* Temperature dependent dormancy during summer Main growing season is winter Uses antifreeze molecules in algae: polyols

    5. Glycerol production in Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni* Produced via hydrolysis of triaclglycerols Able to enter the glycolytic pathway with help of ATP High concentration in October and lower in January (Antarctic) Measured super cooling point (SCP) as low as -38 degrees C

    6. Partial desiccation in Onychiurus articus* Long periods of -2.5 degrees C, resulting in reduced water content Lowered SCP from -6.1 to -15.5 degrees C Gained normal body weight within 24 hours when water was available

    7. Brief look at the process of ecdysis

    8. Unexpected role of ecdysis in Tullbergia antarctica* Ametabolous ecdysis: sheds cuticle throughout life, even after adulthood Sheds cuticle as a means to rid themselves of ice

    9. What does this all mean? Arthropods where we dont expect them? 9000 named species Inhabit high elevations and high latitudes Evidence suggests that these winter systems are dynamic Alpine tundra? Sub-alpine forests?

    10. Cited references Sinclair BJ and Sjursen H. 2001. Cold tolerance of the Antarctic springtail Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni. Antarctic Science 13:271-279 Worland MR. 1996. The relationship between water content and cold tolerance in the arctic collembolan Onychiurus arcticus. European Journal of Entomology 93:341-348 Worland MR. 2004. Factors that influence freezing in the sub-Antarctic springtail Tullbergia antarctica. Journal of Insect Physiology 51:881-894 Verhoef HA, Prast JE, Verweij RA. 1988. Relative importance of Fungi and Algae in the diet and nitrogen nutrition of Orchesella cincta and Tomocerus minor. Functional Ecology 2:195-201 Zettel J. 2000. Alpine Collembola-adaptations and strategies for survival in harsh conditions. Zoology-Analysis of Complex Systems 102:73-89

More Related