Effect of forest and field habitat features on abundance of genera in nematode assemblages

Abstract

Abundances of nematode genera were examined in several forest and field habitats located in close proximity in Florida, USA. Effects of selected habitat features were also evaluated, such as tree type, management and presence of litter, grasses or invasive species. Of 37 common taxa evaluated, ten were more abundant in forest and ten in field habitats. Several genera includingAcrobeloides,AphelenchoidesandMesocriconemawere common in all habitats. Light management, consisting of mowing of grasses, negatively affected 19 taxa. More genera appeared adapted to closed forest over open forest, and most of these were more common in plots with oak trees or oak litter than in plots with pine. Numbers ofParatylenchus,PlectusandXiphinemawere further increased by the presence of herbaceous plants on the forest floor. When invasive elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum) was included in plots with other grasses, numbers of eight genera that typically were common in grass plots were further increased.Alaimus,CervidellusandWilsonemawere negatively affected by the invasive elephantgrass. Most of the nine genera in guild Ba2 were more abundant in either forest (Acrobeles,Cervidellus,Plectus,Wilsonema) or grass (Eucephalobus,Zeldia) habitats, whileAcrobeloideswas common and two genera were rare in all habitats. The effects of habitats and habitat features on many different nematode taxa add to our growing knowledge of the ecological habits of free-living nematodes.