Vogels, J. J., Verberk, W. C. E. P., Kuper, J. T., Weijters, M. J., Verbaarschot, E., Lamers, L. P. M. & Siepel, H. 2024
In North-Western Europe, past and current atmospheric deposition levels of eutrophying nitrogen (NOx, NHy) and acidifying nitrogen and sulphur compounds (NOx, NHy, SOx) often exceed critical loads, resulting in biodiversity declines, especially in poorly buffered oligotrophic ecosystems such as dry heathlands. Here we investigate whether cricket performance (growth, reproduction and field density) is related to stoichiometric mismatches, specifically limitation of P, Mn and/or Fe. We fed crickets food obtained from a P and/or Lime addition field experiment in sod-cut heathland vegetation differing in N:P, Mn:Mg and Fe:Mg elemental stoichiometry. We measured the elemental content of both crickets and faecal matter allowing us to test whether alleviation of P limitation influenced cricket elemental content and/or uptake efficiency and whether liming induced limitation of Mn and/or Fe.