Pedobiologia最新文献

{"title":"Conventional agricultural management negatively affects soil fauna abundance, soil physicochemical quality and multifunctionality","authors":"Emogine Mamabolo,&nbsp;René Gaigher,&nbsp;James S. Pryke","doi":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150961","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150961","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Agricultural intensification is one of the major drivers of biodiversity decline and the losses of its functions in the soil. For soil health and sustainability planning, it is important to understand the effects associated with agricultural management on soil function and biodiversity. This study explored soil fauna, physicochemical properties, soil quality and multifunctionality and how they are affected by agroecosystem management in four different land uses i.e., conventional agriculture, livestock-integrated agriculture, conservation agriculture and natural grassland. The conventional land use favoured some nutrients, however soil of both the integrated and conservation land uses had physical and chemical properties indicative of good soil quality e.g. low compaction, low C:N ratio and stable aggregates. Soil fauna abundance was more responsive to land use and the soil environment compared to species diversity which did not show significant responses as expected. Tillage is known to negatively influence soil fauna, soil functions and physicochemical properties through intense soil structure disruption. Here, its detrimental effect is reflected by the lowest record of soil fauna, poor soil physicochemical quality and low multifunctionality observed within the conventional landuses managed under deep tillage, compared to other land uses which are under zero tillage. Overall, the study shows that the implementation of sustainable soil management practices which improves the physical and chemical status will not only be beneficial for productivity but also for the promotion of important soil fauna, better soil quality and ecosystem multifunctionality.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49711,"journal":{"name":"Pedobiologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031405624034826/pdfft?md5=d182849c00582cf15fb6bdddf65fc04a&pid=1-s2.0-S0031405624034826-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140893271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbon and nutrient cycling responses to repeated application of biochar and NPK fertilizers depend on microenvironmental differences among hierarchical aggregate fractions","authors":"Chinyere Blessing Okebalama ,&nbsp;Bernd Marschner","doi":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150962","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150962","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The conversion of bambara groundnut seed residues into biochar facilitated the bioavailability and retention of more nutrients (C, N, P, K and Mg) after repeated application of biochar. However, the mechanisms of microbially mediated biochar-C degradation and nutrient cycling responses to repeated biochar application, particularly in different hierarchical soil aggregates, are largely unknown. A 20-day incubation experiment was conducted on Ultisols from a 4-year cucumber field trial in Nsukka, Nigeria. The effects of repeated application of bambara seed residue biochar with or without NPK fertilizer on soil aggregate associated electrical conductivity (EC), basal respiration, microbial biomass, and soil enzyme activities were determined. The results showed that the concentration of organic matter in the bulk soils increased with biochar and NPK+biochar treatments. These treatments also increased the soil EC, cumulative CO₂ respiration, microbial biomass C and N concentrations, and the activities of tyrosine-aminopeptidase and sulfatase enzymes, compared to the biochar treatment and the control soil. The NPK+biochar treatment contributed 35 % more to β-cellobiosidase activity, but the biochar treatment resulted in 85 % reduction in N-Acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activity, indicating microbial N mining. The NPK and NPK+biochar treatments accounted for a higher percentage of N-, C and N-, and S- cycle enzyme activities, although their composition was relatively higher with the latter treatment. The overall soil biochemical responses were significantly higher in the micro-aggregates (&lt; 0.25 mm) than in the macro-aggregates (≤ 4.75–0.25 mm); least of all in the small macro-aggregates (0.25–1.00 mm). Therefore, repeated application of biochar to N-deficient soils generally does not result in positive soil biochemical responses. However, repeated application of biochar together with NPK fertilizer modulates N limitation and optimizes microbial nutrient cycling processes, especially in micro-aggregates.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49711,"journal":{"name":"Pedobiologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140947403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the influence of ground-dwelling ant bioturbation activity on physico-chemical, biological properties and heavy metal pollution in coal mine spoil","authors":"Shbbir R. Khan ,&nbsp;Poonam C. Singh ,&nbsp;Martin Schmettow ,&nbsp;Satish K. Singh ,&nbsp;Neelkamal Rastogi","doi":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150960","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150960","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Coal mining activities increase the soil concentrations of heavy metals manifold thus impacting soil health and biodiversity. The understanding of the impact of bioturbation activities by ant colonies on soil in coal mine spoil site across different restoration ages is not studied. The study aimed to investigate the influence of bioturbation activities by two most common and distinct coal mine site inhabiting ant species (<em>C. compressus</em> and <em>C. longipedem</em>) at six different ages (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 years old) on the soil heavy metal concentrations of Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr, pH, OM, TC, TN, soil enzyme activity of DH, ACP, β-glucosidase and proteases properties of soil. Soil samples were collected from opencast coalmine spoils during October and November 2017. Reference (Ref.) soil samples (n=10 per site) were collected (from area adjacent to ant nest colony approximately 2–5 m distance) from a depth of 0–15 cm and ant nest debris soil of each ant species (n=10 per site) were collected from each site. Heavy metal pollution decreased and pH, OM, TC, TN and soil enzyme activity of DH, ACP, β-glucosidase and proteases of soil in both Ref. soil and ant nest debris soil increases with the increase of mine site restoration age. Our study revealed that different age of the mine spoil have more profound effects on the soil quality and heavy metal content. Contrary to our hypothesis, regression analysis did not support our notion that ant bioturbation activity directly accelerate heavy metal breakdown. Instead, our findings suggests that ant colonies prefer to construct their nest for the locations with lower heavy metal concentrations and higher enzyme activity and increase in soil porosity is a key factor behind the low heavy metal concentration in the nest debris soil.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49711,"journal":{"name":"Pedobiologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140880102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temporal monitoring of free-living nematode communities for evaluation of soil health in an arable crop rotation","authors":"Ana I.M. Natalio ,&nbsp;Mohammed Ahmed ,&nbsp;Matthew A. Back ,&nbsp;Andrew Richards ,&nbsp;Simon Jeffery","doi":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150959","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150959","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>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 <em>Raphanus sativus</em> and <em>Vicia</em> 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.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49711,"journal":{"name":"Pedobiologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031405624034802/pdfft?md5=2b5acb7b3bcff32e4f3e81d2f3b208cf&pid=1-s2.0-S0031405624034802-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140268642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Taxon-specific ability of saprophagous soil macrofauna to reintegrate carbon from agricultural waste into soil","authors":"Andrey S. Zaitsev ,&nbsp;Anastasia Yu. Gorbunova ,&nbsp;Alexander I. Bastrakov ,&nbsp;Maxim I. Degtyarev ,&nbsp;Donghui Wu ,&nbsp;Daniil I. Korobushkin ,&nbsp;Ruslan A. Saifutdinov ,&nbsp;Konstantin B. Gongalsky","doi":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150958","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150958","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Saprophagous soil macroinvertebrates may potentially degrade agricultural wastes. However, it is not known, to what extent and representatives of which taxa may help reintegrating carbon from crop residues back into soil without triggering massive carbon release into the atmosphere. To tackle this problem, we conducted a three-month-long microcosm experiment with 21 different species of macrofauna (each treatment replicated four times) belonging to 13 families to test their ability to degrade wheat straw. Simultaneously CO₂ release from the microcosms was measured. Five species did not survive under experimental conditions. Among the remaining 16 species, three significantly increased wheat straw decomposition with <em>Oryctes nasicornis</em> larvae having inflicted the highest straw mass loss (64%) in comparison with the control, where no animals were added (29%). None of the tested species increased cumulative CO₂ evolution from the microcosms, while two species significantly reduced it. The reduction of carbon loss with aerobic respiration was recorded for <em>Cetonia aurata</em> larvae and the earthworm <em>Dendrobaena veneta</em> (respectively 2.5 and 2-fold in relation to the control – 53.8±4.6 mg CO₂-C g⁻¹ soil dry weight during the entire experiment). The original integrative Carbon Sequestration Index by Macrofauna (CSIM) calculated for both of the measured parameters suggests that the woodlouse <em>Armadillidium vulgare</em> and to a smaller extent the earthworm <em>D. veneta</em> appear to be the most promising organisms for industrial climate-friendly organic waste recycling in terms of survival, straw processing and simultaneous reduction of CO₂ emissions from soil. Our results proved that the engagement of saprophagous macrofauna in crop residue decomposition is a viable technique of carbon reincorporation into the soil. It is accompanied with CO₂ release mitigation into the atmosphere.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49711,"journal":{"name":"Pedobiologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140191001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enchytraeid-stimulation of nitrogen mineralization from green plant residues in an organic soil","authors":"Risako Kato ,&nbsp;Karl Ritz ,&nbsp;Koki Toyota","doi":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150957","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150957","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Faunal-mediated nutrient cycling, especially N mineralization, has the potential to make a significant contribution to nutrient supply to crop plants in production systems involving e.g. green manure cover crops. We investigated the effects of enchytraeids on N mineralization from mung bean residues in microcosm experiments using an organically-farmed soil with an inherently large population of enchytraeids. Enchytraeids promoted N mineralization by 23% after a distinct lag of between four and 12 weeks, concomitant with a substantial increase in population size followed by an almost complete collapse. Nitrogen release from the necromass would have contributed a small but significant fraction of the N mineralized, and the result suggested the presence of other mechanisms. Enchytraeids suppressed nematode populations, while did not affect the mean weight diameter (MWD) of soil aggregates, although mung bean residues increased MWD. We conclude that enchytraeids have potential to play significant roles in mediating N supply to crops but matching supply-and-demand periods may be challenging.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49711,"journal":{"name":"Pedobiologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140181109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Micromorphology and thematic micro-mapping reveal differences in the soil structuring traits of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi","authors":"Arturo Jiménez-Martínez ,&nbsp;Ma. del Carmen Gutiérrez-Castorena ,&nbsp;Noé Manuel Montaño ,&nbsp;Edgar Vladimir Gutiérrez-Castorena ,&nbsp;Alejandro Alarcón ,&nbsp;Mayra E. Gavito","doi":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150953","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150953","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi contribute to soil structure, but little is known about the effect of individual fungal species on soil aggregation. In this study, the influence of 3 AM fungi species on soil aggregation in a Vitric Andosol was determined using physical, micromorphological, and imaging analyses. We used a pipe of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with a six-way connector, which was filled with soil plus AM fungal inoculum (<em>Funneliformis mosseae</em>, <em>Rhizophagus intraradices, Gigaspora gigantea</em> or non-inoculated -control-). Then lateral pipe connectors (experimental units) were covered with mesh systems (0.5, 0.25, and 0.034 mm), and PVC tubes filled with sterile soil were connected laterally using a clamp. The greenhouse experiment consisted of four treatments each with 32 experimental units. Four experimental units of each treatment were separated and collected at different times during the year: three were used to determine water-stable aggregates (disturbed soils), and one was preserved (undisturbed soil) to elaborate soil thin sections. Thematic micro-maps were constructed with image mosaics from a whole soil thin section, and micromorphological analyses were conducted using spatial operators. Our results showed that AM fungi affect soil aggregation forming micro-aggregates and macro-aggregates of different sizes. The most significant effects were observed with <em>F. mosseae &gt; R. intraradices</em> &gt; <em>Gi. gigantea</em> &gt; control. Aggregation hierarchy was observed in micromorphological analysis, where <em>F. mosseae</em> and <em>R. intraradices</em> start binding organo-mineral particles and microaggregates to form macroaggregates, modifying soil structure from intergrain (apedal= without peds) to crumb aggregates (pedal= with peds). <em>Gigaspora gigantea</em> only promoted macroaggregation, by associating with pumice particles. The two AM fungi from Glomeraceae possess similar morphology compared to that isolate belonging to Gigasporaceae, which explain in part, their differential contribution traits on soil aggregation, as highlighted by using together physical and micromorphological analyses of soil thin sections based on high-resolution image mosaics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49711,"journal":{"name":"Pedobiologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140181110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microbial inoculation alters rhizoplane bacterial community and correlates with increased rice yield","authors":"Ke Huang ,&nbsp;Hongyang Yin ,&nbsp;Qianru Zheng ,&nbsp;Wen Lv ,&nbsp;Xintao Shen ,&nbsp;Min Ai ,&nbsp;Yuan Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150945","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150945","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microbial inoculants are recognized as environmentally friendly methods to promote plant growth and improve soil properties. However, the effects of inoculation on the rhizosphere and rhizoplane community structure of plants remain poorly documented and need further investigation. <em>Rhodopseudomonas palustris</em> (<em>R. palustris</em>) strain has nitrogen fixing ability and <em>Bacillus subtilis</em> (<em>B. subtilis</em>) strain is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR). In this study, we investigated the effects of single and co-inoculation with <em>R. palustris</em> and <em>B. subtilis</em> on the increase of rice yield as well as on the microbial communities in the rhizosphere and rhizoplane of rice through potting experiments, respectively. The results showed that inoculation significantly increased rice yield and seed setting rate, with co-inoculation raising the yield by up to 13.7%. Inoculation influenced both rhizosphere and rhizoplane community structures and functions, amplifying the differences between them. The most significant changes were brought about by the combined inoculation treatment. Co-inoculation with <em>R. palustris</em> and <em>B. subtilis</em> had a synergistic effect. The profound alterations of rhizoplane bacterial community structures and functions were proved to be positively correlated with rice yield and seed setting rate (<em>r</em> = 0.59–0.76, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). These results provide new ideas for the investigation of the potential microbiological mechanisms of microbial co-inoculation in practical agricultural applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49711,"journal":{"name":"Pedobiologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140044917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil macrofauna and water-related functions in patches of regenerating Atlantic Forest in Brazil","authors":"Wilian C. Demetrio ,&nbsp;George G. Brown ,&nbsp;Breno Pupin ,&nbsp;Rafaela T. Dudas ,&nbsp;Reinaldo Novo ,&nbsp;Antônio C.V. Motta ,&nbsp;Marie L.C. Bartz ,&nbsp;Laura S. Borma","doi":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150944","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150944","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Atlantic Forest is the most threatened Brazilian biome, with less than 10% of its original surface cover remaining. Thus, several programs of payment for ecosystem services have been developed in this biome focusing on revegetation of degraded areas. Forest regeneration promotes the development of soil invertebrate communities that play an important role in soil processes, delivering a wide range of ecosystem services. We studied the changes in macrofauna communities in three forests under different regeneration stages and the relationship between these invertebrates and soil chemical and physical properties. Macrofauna and soil chemical and physical properties were sampled until 30 cm depth in three forest fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest under different regeneration stages: young regenerating forest (∼8 years old), secondary forest in intermediate regeneration stage (∼20 years old) and native secondary forest fragment. No significant differences in saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) were observed among sites, however, the old native forest showed reduction in K_s in deeper layers compared to young regenerating forests. Several macrofauna taxa were positively correlated with K_s and soil carbon. The stage of regeneration modified the abundance and diversity of these invertebrates in general (except for earthworms), and the old native forest showed high abundance of most taxa. In conclusion, our study highlights the potential of macrofauna communities as robust indicators of soil functions re-establishment in regenerating forests within the Atlantic Forest biome. The observed positive correlations between macrofauna abundance and diversity with soil water infiltration and organic carbon content emphasize the key role of these invertebrates to essential ecosystem functions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49711,"journal":{"name":"Pedobiologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139665905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil nematode communities vary among populations of the iconic desert plant, Welwitschia mirabilis","authors":"Amy M. Treonis ,&nbsp;Eugene Marais ,&nbsp;Gillian Maggs-Kölling","doi":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150943","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150943","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Scattered throughout the Namib Desert of Namibia are populations of <em>Welwitschia mirabilis</em>, a unique, low-lying, and slow-growing gymnosperm plant. We studied soils under <em>Welwitschia</em> plants and in adjacent interplant areas along a 400-km range to examine the potential of these plants as resource islands supporting nematode communities. We found significant differences in nematode density and community structure among the sites that were correlated to differences in climate, edaphic factors, and plant size and density. Soils from the Torra Conservancy site, which receives the most precipitation and had the highest density of <em>Welwitschia</em> plants, contained the highest organic matter and the most diverse nematode communities, with the broadest representation of nematode trophic groups. The largest and likely oldest <em>Welwitschia</em> plants occurred in the Messum Crater, the site with the least rainfall, which hosted the densest nematode communities (mean = 14,683 kg⁻¹ soil). These communities consisted almost entirely of the bacterial-feeding nematode <em>Panagrolaimus</em> sp. Two other sites, Welwitschia Plain, a well-known tourist destination, and Hope Mine, the southernmost known population, contained the fewest nematodes with moderate levels of diversity. Differences in nematode abundance between <em>Welwitschia</em> soils and interplant soils were not discernable at three of the four field sites, suggesting the resource island effect is not very strong. Interplant spaces also support diverse and abundant nematode communities, perhaps due to the growth of cryptobiotic crusts or ephemeral rainfall-induced vegetation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49711,"journal":{"name":"Pedobiologia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139679381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}