Endlweber et al. (2009), with the help of 13C and 15N stable
isotopes, showed that the springtail species Protaphorura fimata Gisin behave like an
herbivore and obtains its C and N from living plant roots, rather than from plant residues
covered or not by fungi and other microorganisms. In a study on the effect of drought in
the uptake of recent photosynthetic C by Collembola and mites, Seeber et al. (2012)
observed a strong link between these organisms and living plants. They proposed that
Collembola might have obtained C both by direct plant herbivory and from fungi by a
mycorrhizal pathway. In contrast, the role of Collembola in determining the fate of recent
photosynthetic C in or near the rhizosphere region could not be confirmed in Sitka spruce
by Churchland et al. (2012). Given the uncertainties of the feeding behavior of
Collembola, the current study aims to examine the feeding preferences of Collembola and
their role in C cycling, by examining the diet of the springtail species Folsomia candida
Willem 1902, using stable isotope techniques