Abstract
Studies of nematode assemblages in natural ecosystems can contribute to better understanding of the occurrence, relevance, and ecology of plant-parasitic and other soil nematodes. Nematode assemblages and environmental parameters (organic matter, water content (WC), bulk density (BD), total porosity (Po), soil respiration, and soil texture) were investigated in two seasons (rainy and dry) in two forest areas of the Zona da Mata, Pernambuco State. The aim of our research was to evaluate the heterogeneity between two locations and seasons in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Structure and composition of the nematode assemblages differed between areas and across time. Rhabditidae dominated the rainy season in both forest soils. Rarefaction curves (RC) suggest that sampling to detect more nematode taxa should be more intensive in the rainy season. The forest soils have complex, stable soil food webs with high connectance and decomposition channels dominated by bacteria. The predator-prey relationships were not affected by changes in soil properties that fluctuate with time.
Highlights
Studies of nematode assemblages in natural ecosystems can contribute to better understanding of the occurrence, relevance, and ecology of plant-parasitic and other soil nematodes
The tropical rainforest of the Atlantic coast of Brazil is known for its diverse biota and is considered to be one of the world’s biological diversity hotspots (Myers et al, 2000; Mittermeier et al, 2011)
The soil food web indices, based on the abundances of nematode functional guilds, have been utilized to examine the effect of pollution, management, and vegetation on agroecosystems (Liang et al, 2005; Stirling and Lodge, 2005; Culman et al, 2010)
Summary
Studies of nematode assemblages in natural ecosystems can contribute to better understanding of the occurrence, relevance, and ecology of plant-parasitic and other soil nematodes. Tropical forests contain many smaller life forms, including nematodes, which have an important role in forest dynamics (Stork, 1996) In this context, the tropical rainforest of the Atlantic coast of Brazil is known for its diverse biota and is considered to be one of the world’s biological diversity hotspots (Myers et al, 2000; Mittermeier et al, 2011). The soil food web indices, based on the abundances of nematode functional guilds (colonizer-persister [c-p] scale integrating with food sources), have been utilized to examine the effect of pollution, management, and vegetation on agroecosystems (Liang et al, 2005; Stirling and Lodge, 2005; Culman et al, 2010) In this survey, faunal and metabolic footprint analyses were used to profile the soil condition in the studied forest areas based on soil nematodes. Predator– prey interactions were investigated, since understanding of these relationships can be explored more thoroughly in undisturbed systems
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