Abstract
Both global warming and alien plant invasion can affect the biotic communities in the soil. Most studies are focused on the soil microbial community, but little is known about how global warming, along with alien plant invasion, affects the diversity and function of the soil nematode community. In this study, the individual and interactive effects of experimental warming and Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.) invasion on soil nematode communities were measured. Experimental air warming, in combination with different levels of S. canadensis invasion, were applied. The results showed that S. canadensis invasion significantly increased chao1, maturity, and structure indexes of the nematode community by 31.44%, 25.57%, and 329.3%, respectively, and decreased the basal index by 48.70% (all p < 0.05). Only the Simpson index was affected by the interaction between warming and S. canadensis invasion. Warming enhanced the S. canadensis invasion effect on the soil nematode community. The changes in nematode community were correlated with shifts in nutrient availability and resource stoichiometry, as well as microbes in the soil. These findings demonstrated that global warming and S. canadensis invasion may, directly and indirectly, alter the soil nematode community, which may considerably affect the functioning of underground food webs.
Highlights
It is well known that many soil ecosystem functions are mediated by biodiversity in natural ecosystem [1]
Compared with unwarmed treatment pots, the pH changed by 6.66%, 1.87%, and –1.74%, in non-invasion (NI), middle invasion (MI), and complete invasion (CI)
The inhibition effects of S. canadensis invasion on channel index under warming treatments were more drastic than under unwarmed treatments. These findings revealed that warming increased the inhibition of S. canadensis invasion on the fungal community, which was in line with Anthony et al (2020) who found that warming enhanced the inhibitory effect of invasive plants on soil fungal communities [48]
Summary
It is well known that many soil ecosystem functions are mediated by biodiversity in natural ecosystem [1]. Interactions between plants and soil animals are drivers of soil ecological processes and the backbone of soil biodiversity [2]. The plant–animal interactions can be complex, since the changes in vegetation community can cause shifts in simultaneous interactions with soil animals and a mutualistic–antagonistic gradient [3]. Understanding the complexities of the plant–animal interactions and the ecosystem consequences of disrupting their diversity in the advent of climate change have become important research topics. Soil nematodes are one of the important parts of soil biodiversity and are the animals with the richest biodiversity and the most diverse functions in the soil [4].
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