Succession of soil nematodes in pine forests on coal-mining sands near Cottbus, Germany

Abstract

The succession of soil nematodes from initial planting with Pinus sylvestris seedling to about 30-year-old pine plantations on coal mining sands in the Lusatian lignite-mining district near Cottbus (Germany) was studied and compared with the nematode fauna of a 40-year-old semi-natural pine forest on naturally formed sandy soil. The initial stage was primarily characterised by a very low abundance (20×10 3 individuals/m 2), which increased over a period of two years to values common in older pine plantations (500–600×10 3 individuals/m 2). In the semi-natural forest the mean abundance of nematodes was about 1300×10 3 individuals/m 2. Populations of Tardigrada, Rotifera and Enchytraeidae also increased with stand age. Nematode biomass increased from 49 to 543 mg m −2 in pine plantations and slightly decreased in the semi-natural forest to 301 mg m −2 over the period of investigation. The early colonisation of the initial stage was by bacterivorous ( Acrobeloides) and fungal feeding ( Aphelenchoides) nematodes, but the communities diversified as succession progressed with bacterivorous nematodes of the genera Plectus, Wilsonema and Metateratocephalus, root-fungal feeding Filenchus, omnivorous Aporcelaimellus and Eudorylaimus, and predacious Prionchulus becoming abundant. The abundance of plant-parasitic nematodes was very low. The greatest number of nematode genera was found in the semi-natural forest.