Influence of storage and drying methods on invertebrate elemental and isotopic measurements
Author(s)
Butler, Orpheus M
Rashti, Mehran Rezaei
Chen, Chengrong
Year published
2018
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Optimised pre-analytical methods for measuring the chemical properties of soil macro-organisms are needed. We tested the effects of ethanol immersion, freezer storage, and drying method on the reliability of estimates of key stoichiometric elements (carbon [C], nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P]) and abundances of 13C and 15N in samples of crickets (Acheta domestica), cockroaches (Nauphoeta cinerea) and mealworms (larval Tenebrio molitor). Ethanol immersion tended to increase A. domestica C and N, and reduced A. domestica P, relative to the reference treatment (deep freezing and oven drying). For N and P these effects were only ...
View more >Optimised pre-analytical methods for measuring the chemical properties of soil macro-organisms are needed. We tested the effects of ethanol immersion, freezer storage, and drying method on the reliability of estimates of key stoichiometric elements (carbon [C], nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P]) and abundances of 13C and 15N in samples of crickets (Acheta domestica), cockroaches (Nauphoeta cinerea) and mealworms (larval Tenebrio molitor). Ethanol immersion tended to increase A. domestica C and N, and reduced A. domestica P, relative to the reference treatment (deep freezing and oven drying). For N and P these effects were only present after 28-day ethanol immersion. Nauphoeta cinerea and T. molitor samples were generally unaffected by storage treatments, while δ13C and δ15N were not affected by any storage treatment for any species. Thus, five days of ethanol immersion may be acceptable prior to elemental and stoichiometric analyses of hard-bodied soil invertebrates in comparative studies.
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View more >Optimised pre-analytical methods for measuring the chemical properties of soil macro-organisms are needed. We tested the effects of ethanol immersion, freezer storage, and drying method on the reliability of estimates of key stoichiometric elements (carbon [C], nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P]) and abundances of 13C and 15N in samples of crickets (Acheta domestica), cockroaches (Nauphoeta cinerea) and mealworms (larval Tenebrio molitor). Ethanol immersion tended to increase A. domestica C and N, and reduced A. domestica P, relative to the reference treatment (deep freezing and oven drying). For N and P these effects were only present after 28-day ethanol immersion. Nauphoeta cinerea and T. molitor samples were generally unaffected by storage treatments, while δ13C and δ15N were not affected by any storage treatment for any species. Thus, five days of ethanol immersion may be acceptable prior to elemental and stoichiometric analyses of hard-bodied soil invertebrates in comparative studies.
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Journal Title
COMMUNICATIONS IN SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT ANALYSIS
Volume
49
Issue
18
Subject
Soil sciences
Plant biology
Crop and pasture production