Spatial Distribution of Nematodes in the Forest Ecosystem of the Mezin National Nature Park, Ukraine

Abstract

Nematode communities were investigated in the soil, litter and epiphytic moss of natural mesophilic broad-leaved forest in the Mezin National Natural Park. A total of 75 species belonging to 55 genera, 32 families and 10 orders were identified. Results showed that taxonomic diversity of the nematode fauna in the soil was higher than in the litter and epiphytic moss. Soil-inhabiting nematodes were 53 species (43 genera, 27 families), litter nematodes — 42 species (32 genera, 19 families), whereas moss nematodes belonged to 25 species (23 genera, 16 families). The lowest value of Shannon diversity index was recorded in the moss (2.17), while it was the highest in the soil (3.25). In contrast, the abundance in nematode communities was the highest in epiphytic moss (mean value 4621.55 ind./100 g). The lowest nematode abundance (450.12 ind./100 g) was found in the forest soil. Rhabditis filiformis Bütschli, 1873 was recorded in the eudominant group in the forest soil (proportion in the community 14.83 %). Aphelenchoides composticola Franklin, 1957 (17.79 %), Mesodorylaimus bastiani Bütschli, 1873 (13.91 %) and Plectus cirratus Bastian, 1865 (15.8 %) were eudominants in the litter, and Aporcelaimellus paracentrocercus (de Coninck, 1935) (11.75 %), P. cirratus (20.1 %), Tylencholaimus teres Thorne, 1939 (35.21 %) in epiphytic moss.