Home › Microbiology › Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Microbiology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

DOI: 10.3791/50061-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Rear grasshoppers under controlled stress and stress-free conditions
  • ✓ Measure microbial decomposition rates of plant litter using respirometry
  • ✓ Link predation-induced physiological stress to altered herbivore nutritional quality and decomposition dynamics
Protocol

We present methods to evaluate how predation risk can alter the chemical quality of herbivore prey by inducing dietary changes to meet demands of heightened stress, and how the decomposition of carcasses from these stressed herbivores slows subsequent plant litter decomposition by soil microbes.

Difficulty
intermediate
Total time
~4–6 weeks (grasshopper rearing) + ~2–3 weeks (decomposition assay)
Model organism
Grasshopper (Orthoptera)

Steps

1
Rear grasshoppers under stress and control conditions

Establish two cohorts of grasshoppers: one exposed to predation risk (stress) and one in stress-free conditions. Maintain dietary and environmental conditions while manipulating psychological stress to induce physiological changes.

▶ 02:35
2
Measure microbial decomposition of plant litter

Set up respirometry assays using carcasses from stressed and control grasshoppers as nitrogen sources for soil microbial communities. Quantify CO₂ evolution or oxygen consumption to track decomposition rates over time.

▶ 04:45
3
Analyze predation risk effects on ecosystem processes

Compare decomposition rates and litter quality between the two treatment groups. Evaluate how herbivore stress-induced dietary shifts alter carcass chemical composition and subsequent microbial activity.

▶ 07:57
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