Interactions between Collembola and different food resources in particular algae

Collembola feed on a wide range of soil fungi, but possible interactions with other resources like algae, Cyanobacteria or seeds are poorly understood. The results of this thesis show that algae differ in their attractiveness and quality for Collembola and even euedaphic species benefit from them. Sympatric species of Collembola show differences in their food choice behaviour as well as in the utilisation of ingested food. The lipid analysis of consumers and their recourses assigned two new trophic biomarkers for Collembola reared on algal diets. Furthermore, this study provided proof that living algal cells can be detected in the faeces of Collembola. This confirms the assumption that Collembola contribute to the dispersal of algae. Simultaneously, fatty acid pattern of faecal pellets suggested that faeces are enriched with gut-associated microorganisms which were also deposited. This mechanism could have important influence on soil microbial communities