Recovery of soil nematode populations from cropping stress by natural secondary succession to meadow land

doi:10.1016/S0929-1393(02)00152-X

Applied Soil Ecology

Volume 22, Issue 3, March 2003, Pages 255-270

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0929-1393(02)00152-X Get rights and content

Abstract

The spectrum and densities of soil nematode species were studied in an extensively managed sub-thermophilous meadow and in conventionally managed and abandoned fallow fields left to natural succession. In the meadow, 115 species and 71 genera of soil nematodes were found and the total mean nematode abundance was 1019×10³ individuals/m². The dominant feeding groups were root-fungal feeders (31%, mainly Filenchus), bacterivores (26%; variety of genera, mainly Panagrolaimus, Rhabditis, Acrobeloides, Bursilla, Plectus, Anaplectus, and Eucephalobus), and fungivores (16%, Aphelenchoides). The cultivated field had 66 species and 41 genera of nematodes and a mean nematode abundance of 546×10³ individuals/m². The eudominant trophic group was bacterivores (53%; mainly Panagrolaimus and Acrobeloides) accompanied by fungivores (28%, Aphelenchoides). During 2 years of natural succession in an abandoned field, the total mean nematode abundance rose to 938×10³ individuals/m², and the number of species and genera increased to 73 and 46, respectively. Omnivores (25%, Aporcelaimellus and Eudorylaimus), fungivores (24%, Aphelenchus) and bacterivores (21%, Eucephalobus and Panagrolaimus) became the leading trophic groups, and the values of the Shannon Index of diversity and the Maturity Index increased. The development of soil nematode populations in the early successional stages of abandoned cambisol fields in Central Europe is discussed.

Introduction

During the past few hundred years, the human population of Europe has increased, with a consequent demand for increased crop production and agricultural land. Large areas of land covered by original vegetation (forests, grasslands, wetlands) have been taken into arable production. In the second half of the 20th century, high inputs of mineral fertilisers and pesticides, and the use of drainage and agricultural machinery increased plant production, but this achievement was accompanied by a decrease in the biodiversity of many landscapes. This fact and crop overproduction have recently led to efforts for the restoration of previous ecosystems, including temperate low input species-rich meadows that were maintained before the intervention of intensive agro-industry (Bakker and Berendse, 1999, Van der Putten et al., 2000).

One way of restoring ecosystems is land abandonment (Young, 2000). In central Europe, spontaneous successional processes can be effective in the restoration of non-extreme habitats (Prach and Pyšek, 2001). Together with increasing density of plant cover on abandoned fields there is also an increase in the population densities and diversity of soil fauna. Studies on abandoned cambisol fields (developed from crystalline rocks of the Bohemian Massif) revealed that the abundance and biomass of nematodes increase first and this is then followed by an increase in species and generic diversity over the course of several years. Later (≈10 years), the abundance and biomass stabilise within values similar to those in the (sub) climax ecosystem but diversification of their population continues and the proportions of different taxa change depending on local conditions (Hanel, 1993, Hanel, 1994, Hanel, 1995, Hanel, 1998a, Hanel, 2000a).

The present study investigates nematodes in the early stages of spontaneous succession in an abandoned cambisol field derived from the flysch rocks of the Western Carpathians and compares their numbers with those in a conventionally cultivated field and in an extensively managed species-rich meadow. After the cessation of intensive agriculture in the region studied, the restoration of these meadows over larger areas is being attempted. The meadows were an important component of the Bı́le Karpaty Mountains landscape. Within the scope of this restoration programme, studies on soil-dwelling animals, including nematodes, are carried out.

Based on the results of study of the secondary succession stages of nematodes in a South Bohemian cambisol, the following hypotheses were formulated and tested as follows:

(i)
Agriculture reduces nematode communities in cambisols when compared with (sub) climax communities.
(ii)
After the cessation of intensive agriculture nematode communities first increase their abundance and biomass and then increase their diversity (number of taxa, Shannon Index) and maturity (Maturity Index).
(iii)
Dominance of bacterivorous nematodes decreases in the early successional stages of natural fallow (1–5-years-old) in comparison with adjacent cultivated fields. On the other hand, the dominance of omnivore and predatory nematodes increases. The dominance of fungal feeding, root-fungal feeding and plant parasitic nematodes can fluctuate.

Section snippets

Material and methods

Investigations were carried out in the Bı́le Karpaty Mountains Protected Landscape Area in south-east Moravia, Czech Republic, east of the town of Veselı́ nad Moravou and near the boundary with the Slovak Republic. The soils in the region are cambisols with pH(H₂O) mostly around 6–7. The parent rocks are multiple alternations of sedimentary layers of various thickness, mainly calcareous and non-calcareous sandstones, with claystones of the West-Carpathian Magura flysch. The mean annual

Results

The communities of soil nematodes in the sites compared differed greatly. Generally, bacterivores (mainly Panagrolaimus rigidus (Schneider, 1886) and Acrobeloides nanus (de Man, 1880)) prevailed in the cultivated soil (Table 1). Dominance (but not abundance) of fungivores decreased over the progression from the cultivated field to the meadow whereas abundance as well as dominance of root-fungal feeders increased (especially the genus Filenchus). However, it was mainly the larger species of the

Discussion

Nematodes in climax or near-climax European meadows form very diverse communities (e.g. Hodda and Wanless, 1994, Dmowska, 2000, Popovici and Ciobanu, 2000). The greatest nematode richness in grasslands is usually highest under temperate conditions and declines towards the climatic extremes (Ekschmitt et al., 2001). Therefore, it was no surprise that nematodes in the meadow studied totalled about 115 species and 71 genera. This is also in agreement with a general viewpoint that low input

Conclusions

The study showed that extensively managed sub-thermophilous grassland had a great diversity of soil nematodes (115 species and 71 genera) and the dominant trophic groups were root-fungal feeders and bacterivores accompanied by fungivores and omnivores. Ploughing the meadow soil and 30 years of intensive agriculture changed the nematode fauna. Only 66 species and 41 genera were found in the cultivated field and about one-half of all nematode individuals were bacterivores. During 2 years since

Acknowledgements

The research was supported by a grant of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic No. 526/02/0036 “Development of vegetation and soil fauna during restoration of species-rich meadows: directing succession by sowing mixtures of meadow plants”. I wish to thank two anonymous referees and Prof. J.P. Curry for stimulating comments on the manuscript.

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Recovery of soil nematode populations from cropping stress by natural secondary succession to meadow land

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Material and methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

TREE

Appl. Soil Ecol.

Appl. Soil Ecol.

Eur. J. Soil Biol.

Appl. Soil Ecol.

Eur. J. Soil Biol.

Appl. Soil Ecol.

Eco. Eng.

Soil Biol. Biochem.

Appl. Soil Ecol.

Pedobiologia

Soil Biol. Biochem.

Pedobiologia

Soil Biol. Biochem.

Biol. Conserv.

Die Rauminhalts und Gewichtsbestimmung der Fadenwürmer (Nematoden)

Acta. Zool. Acad. Sci. Hung.

The measurement of soil fungal:bacterial biomass ratios as an indicator of ecosystem self-regulation in temperate meadow grasslands

Biol. Fertil. Soils

The maturity index: an ecological measure of environmental disturbance based on nematode species composition

Oecologia

Nematode communities in subalpine meadows in Central Pyrenees

Ann. Zool.

Nematodes colonizing power plant ash dumps. I. Soil nematodes in ash dumps non-reclaimed and reclaimed by adding mineral soil and sowing grass

Pol. J. Ecol.

Diversity of soil nematodes (Nematoda) in various types of ecosystems

Ekológia Bratislava

Účinky aplikace Boverolu (Beauveria bassiana) na půdnı́ hlı́stice (Nematoda) úhoru (Effects of Boverol (Beauveria bassiana) application on soil nematodes (Nematoda) in a fallow)

Ochr. Rostl.

Secondary successional stages of soil nematodes in cambisols of South Bohemia

Nematologica

Soil nematodes in five spruce forests of the Beskydy mountains, Czech Republic

Fundam. Appl. Nematol.