Soil Nematodes in Agroecosystems: Linking Cropping System’s Rhizosphere Ecology to Nematode Structure and Function

Abstract

Land use change and intensification though they contributed to increases in food production, have remained one of the main threats to soil biodiversity due to their negative impacts on the health and fertility of the soil. Nematodes have been used as a tool for assessing the structure and functions of soils in agroecosystems because indices of nematode community can reflect current changes and functions over time of the ecological processes in the soil. Although nematodes are largely considered important drivers in the decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling, their community structure and functional responses to land use change and intensification, and agricultural practices remain poorly understood. Therefore, this review aims to evaluate the response of soil nematodes to land use change and intensification, as well as the potential influence of management practices on their community structure and population dynamics. Besides, due to the fact that nematodes are soil inhabitants, their activities are largely controlled by the physical and biological conditions of the soil. A variation in the soil micro-ecological environment may affect their community structure and functional responses. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of agricultural intensification, such as monocropping, greater use of chemical fertilizers, and the application of pesticides on nematode populations. We also evaluate how sustainable agricultural techniques like organic farming, crop rotation, and decreased tillage affect the health of nematode populations. This study will give a thorough knowledge of how these factors interact to affect soil health and ecosystem function. Further insights about how root interactions in multi-species systems affect the rhizosphere ecology and influence the nematode community will be discussed.