TY - JOUR
T1 - Settling behavior of the desert isopod Hemilepistus reaumuri in response to variation in soil moisture and other environmental cues
AU - Baker, Mitchell B.
AU - Shachak, Moshe
AU - Brand, Sol
N1 - Funding Information:
This research would not have been possible without the help of David Cohn, Betsy Von Holle, Steven Rao, and Tuula Talvila in the field. The research was supported by a Population Biology Graduate Group Student Research Grant, and an NSF Grant IBN96-25653 to M.B. Baker. This is publication number 243 of the Mitrani Center for Desert Ecology.
PY - 1998/12/1
Y1 - 1998/12/1
N2 - We report the results of three studies, one observational and two manipulative, that examine the settling behavior of isopods in response to soil moisture and other cues. In a census of isopod settling patterns in twenty-five 5 × 10 m plots arranged on a 200 m2 grid, isopods settled more densely in plots with more successful old burrows from the previous season, and in plots with more shrubs. Isopod settling was not correlated with soil moisture at 10 and 30 cm depths. In a manipulative experiment carried out over two years, isopods settled more densely in 3 × 3 m outdoor pens that received 20 mm of supplemental water in February than in unwatered plots. In a second experiment, 50 mm of water was added to open plots, and two densities of artificial holes were added as well. Isopods settled more densely in plots with added water, and settled much more densely in plots with artificial holes. Water did not significantly affect isopod survival or offspring weight. Unmanipulated plots with higher densities of settlers had higher burrow survival.
AB - We report the results of three studies, one observational and two manipulative, that examine the settling behavior of isopods in response to soil moisture and other cues. In a census of isopod settling patterns in twenty-five 5 × 10 m plots arranged on a 200 m2 grid, isopods settled more densely in plots with more successful old burrows from the previous season, and in plots with more shrubs. Isopod settling was not correlated with soil moisture at 10 and 30 cm depths. In a manipulative experiment carried out over two years, isopods settled more densely in 3 × 3 m outdoor pens that received 20 mm of supplemental water in February than in unwatered plots. In a second experiment, 50 mm of water was added to open plots, and two densities of artificial holes were added as well. Isopods settled more densely in plots with added water, and settled much more densely in plots with artificial holes. Water did not significantly affect isopod survival or offspring weight. Unmanipulated plots with higher densities of settlers had higher burrow survival.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0000884456&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0000884456
SN - 0021-2210
VL - 44
SP - 345
EP - 354
JO - Israel Journal of Zoology
JF - Israel Journal of Zoology
IS - 3-4
ER -