Assessment of soil nematode diversity based on different taxonomic levels and functional groups

Abstract

Although soil nematode diversity has been used as an indicator of habitat characteristics and environmental change, the diversity of entire soil nematode communities has not been comprehensively evaluated at different taxonomic levels, or for different functional groups, or at a fine taxonomic level within functional groups. In this study, two taxonomic diversity indices, the Shannon-Wiener index (H′) and Simpson index (λ), were used to evaluate the following: 1) nematode diversity at different taxonomic levels for the whole community, 2) nematode diversity of different functional groups, and 3) nematode generic diversity of functional groups in the following four land-use types: forage land, cropland, secondary forest, and grass-shrubland. The results showed that significant differences in nematode diversity among land-use types were detected by assessment at the order level but not at the family or genus level. The results also showed that significant differences in nematode diversity were better revealed by assessment of trophic groups rather than cp groups. The generic diversities (H′)of omnivorous nematodes and cp3 nematodes also significantly differed among land-use types. Our results indicate that diversity at a high taxonomic level (i.e., order) may be a more useful indicator than diversity at a low taxonomic level (i.e., family or genus) of differences among land-use types. In addition, the functional group diversity (i.e., trophic group, cp group, and the combination of these two groups) for the whole community and the taxonomic diversity within functional groups were useful indicators of differences among land-use types.