Responses of the parthenogenetic isopod, Trichoniscus pusillus (Isopoda : Oniscidea), to changes in food quality

Citation
G. Kautz et al., Responses of the parthenogenetic isopod, Trichoniscus pusillus (Isopoda : Oniscidea), to changes in food quality, PEDOBIOLOG, 44(1), 2000, pp. 75-85
Citations number
33
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
PEDOBIOLOGIA
ISSN journal
00314056 → ACNP
Volume
44
Issue
1
Year of publication
2000
Pages
75 - 85
Database
ISI
SICI code
0031-4056(200002)44:1<75:ROTPIT>2.0.ZU;2-Z
Abstract
Long-term observations of Trichoniscus pusillus revealed that chemical comp osition and microbial activity of the leaf litter serving as food influence d the reproductive success of females and the mortality rates of juveniles as well. Of the food sources investigated, only alder litter, exhibiting hi gh microbial activity, allowed the maintenance of a stable population with frequently reproducing females. This study concludes that the food type is a significant factor for population parameters of:this parthenogenetic isop od. Our results on T. pusillus, belonging to the taxon Synocheta, are compa red with data on terrestrial isopod species of the taxon Crinocheta.