Ana I.M. Natalio , Mohammed Ahmed , Matthew A. Back , Andrew Richards , Simon Jeffery
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
There is a growing interest in finding reliable methods for monitoring soil health using bioindicators. Free-living nematodes are an ideal indicator group because of their rapid response to changes in soil conditions. This UK study aims to assess their efficacy as bioindicators using two field experiments. In Experiment-1, the treatments included Farmyard Manure, Green Manure consisting of a mix of Raphanus sativus and Vicia sp., and Standard Practice serving as the control receiving N-fertiliser only. The same treatments, except Farmyard Manure, were compared in Experiment-2, which was on a sloping site with a different textured soil. Soil samples were collected twice during each crop season, in Spring and Autumn, for Experiment-1, and only in Autumn for Experiment-2. Ecological indices that categorise nematodes by feeding preference using morphological differences and life strategies (i.e. functional guilds) were calculated. Indices were compared with the abundance of nematode trophic groups to evaluate their use as soil indicators for understanding crop management practices and their legacy effects. Results showed that identification to trophic groups alone was not a sufficiently sensitive approach for assessing changes in the selected management practices. The variations among trophic groups and treatments within the same sampling period were significantly different for bacterivores, fungivores, predators, omnivores, and herbivores. These differences did not always cooccur within the same sampling period, with bacterivores and plant-parasites of economic importance showing greater responses. The food web analyses, calculated by applying the Enrichment Index and Structure Index, and Plant Parasite Index, provided a more sensitive indicator and allowed more effective diachronic monitoring. While using the composition of trophic groups appears to be an attractive solution, their application is best linked to quantifying short-term changes in soil condition and were not as well suited to longer-term soil health monitoring.
期刊介绍:
Pedobiologia publishes peer reviewed articles describing original work in the field of soil ecology, which includes the study of soil organisms and their interactions with factors in their biotic and abiotic environments.
Analysis of biological structures, interactions, functions, and processes in soil is fundamental for understanding the dynamical nature of terrestrial ecosystems, a prerequisite for appropriate soil management. The scope of this journal consists of fundamental and applied aspects of soil ecology; key focal points include interactions among organisms in soil, organismal controls on soil processes, causes and consequences of soil biodiversity, and aboveground-belowground interactions.
We publish:
original research that tests clearly defined hypotheses addressing topics of current interest in soil ecology (including studies demonstrating nonsignificant effects);
descriptions of novel methodological approaches, or evaluations of current approaches, that address a clear need in soil ecology research;
innovative syntheses of the soil ecology literature, including metaanalyses, topical in depth reviews and short opinion/perspective pieces, and descriptions of original conceptual frameworks; and
short notes reporting novel observations of ecological significance.