Have a personal or library account? Click to login

Free-living nematode assemblages associated with maize residues and their ecological significance

Journal of Nematology
Volume 53 (2021): Issue 1 (January 2021)
By:
Open Access
|Jan 2021

Figures & Tables

Figure 1:

Functional metabolic footprint of nematodes in control and decomposition plots during the first season. The point at the middle of the rhomboid represents the intersection of the enrichment and structure index. The length of the vertical axis and horizontal axis of the rhombus represents the enrichment and structure footprints, respectively. The functional nematode metabolic footprint is represented by the total area of the functional enrichment and structure footprints.
Functional metabolic footprint of nematodes in control and decomposition plots during the first season. The point at the middle of the rhomboid represents the intersection of the enrichment and structure index. The length of the vertical axis and horizontal axis of the rhombus represents the enrichment and structure footprints, respectively. The functional nematode metabolic footprint is represented by the total area of the functional enrichment and structure footprints.

Figure 2:

Functional metabolic footprint of nematodes in control and decomposition plots during the second season. The point at the middle of the rhomboid represents the intersection of the enrichment and structure index. The length of the vertical axis and horizontal axis of the rhombus represents the enrichment and structure footprints, respectively. The functional nematode metabolic footprint is represented by the total area of functional enrichment and structure footprints.
Functional metabolic footprint of nematodes in control and decomposition plots during the second season. The point at the middle of the rhomboid represents the intersection of the enrichment and structure index. The length of the vertical axis and horizontal axis of the rhombus represents the enrichment and structure footprints, respectively. The functional nematode metabolic footprint is represented by the total area of functional enrichment and structure footprints.

Average number of nematodes in 250 g soil collected from control and decomposition plots during season two_

TaxaCp-classControl Mean ± SEDecomposition Mean ± SE F-value P-value
Bacterivores
Acrobeles 239 ± 7.558 ± 12.86.6040.015*
Acrobeloides 242 ± 8.027 ± 6.01.4340.241
Alaimus 48 ± 2.410 ± 3.90.0590.81
Cephalobus 2151 ± 10.4280 ± 26.925.737<0.001***
Cervidellus 242 ± 13.534 ± 12.10.4660.5
Drilocephalobus 25 ± 2.49 ± 3.24.2250.049*
Eucephalobus 2101 ± 19.1164 ± 23.848.172<0.001***
Geomonhystera 216 ± 3.58 ± 3.07.3910.0108*
Heterocephalobus 257 ± 10.8129 ± 14.868.576<0.001***
Mesorhabditis 10 ± 0.014 ± 4.937.891<0.001***
Panagrolaimus 13 ± 1.25 ± 2.00.4860.491
Plectus 210 ± 3.527 ± 4.796.111<0.001***
Prismatolaimus 316 ± 3.524 ± 4.23.9890.055
Rhabditis 121 ± 7.073 ± 34.42.5920.118
Wilsonema 23 ± 1.23 ± 1.50.2070.652
Fungivores
Aphelenchoides 229 ± 6.198 ± 29.513.911<0.001***
Aphelenchus 2164 ± 20.9320 ± 47.218.84<0.001***
Filenchus 221 ± 4.816 ± 6.02.0410.163
Omnivores
Aporcelaimellus 50 ± 0.01 ± 1.310.325
Eudorylaimus 426 ± 4.222 ± 5.21.340.256
Dorylaimellus 50 ± 0.01 ± 0.710.325
Labronema 439 ± 7.147 ± 7.12.5610.12
Mesodorylaimus 423 ± 3.510 ± 2.913.0060.001**
Prodorylaimus 40 ± 0.03 ± 1.53.6490.066
Predators
Discolaimus 58 ± 1.58 ± 2.00.0510.823
Mononchus 45 ± 1.54 ± 2.74.7410.037*
Nygolaimus 578 ± 10.354 ± 9.95.4830.026*

Soil physicochemical characteristics at Nyangati study site in Mwea Sub-county, Kenya_

Soil propertyMeanStandard error
Calcium me %6.070.788
Clay %44.004.000
Copper ppm2.950.090
Iron ppm23.503.239
Magnesium me %3.630.135
Manganese me %0.970.114
Phosphorus ppm16.671.667
Potassium me %0.750.096
Sand %46.673.712
Silt %9.330.667
Sodium me %0.160.074
Soil pH5.850.057
Total Nitrogen %0.180.003
Total Organic Carbon %2.030.050
Zinc ppm0.200.029

Minimum temperature and rainfall data at Nyangati study site in Mwea Sub-county, Kenya_

MonthMinimum temperature (°C)Average rainfall (mm)
March14.6245
April14.7619.2
May14.8299.6
June13.378
July12.751.5
August12.318.8
September13.038.5
October14.651.5
November15.5100.1
December14.7109.2
January13.646.5
February21.621.6

Average number of nematodes in 250 g soil collected from control and decomposition plots during season one_

TaxaCp-classControl Mean ± SEDecomposition Mean ± SE F-value P-value
Bacterivores
Acrobeles 242 ± 9.558 ± 8.037.039<0.001***
Acrobeloides 216 ± 4.48 ± 3.59.1530.005**
Alaimus 431 ± 8.830 ± 5.72.3310.137
Aphanolaimus 15 ± 2.42 ± 1.11.3270.258
Cephalobus 2107 ± 6.4109 ± 9.90.1060.747
Cervidellus 252 ± 11.323 ± 3.80.0820.777
Drilocephalobus 20 ± 0.03 ± 2.01.9460.173
Eucephalobus 291 ± 12.9118 ± 21.12.920.098
Geomonhystera 210 ± 4.87 ± 3.600.996
Heterocephalobus 2120 ± 20.986 ± 13.41.9270.175
Plectus 226 ± 9.037 ± 7.67.0160.013*
Prismatolaimus 318 ± 4.040 ± 11.02.5860.118
Rhabditis 139 ± 8.041 ± 12.60.2230.64
Stegelleta 20 ± 0.01 ± 1.30.2720.325
Wilsonema 231 ± 10.117 ± 4.20.6790.417
Fungivores
Aphelenchoides 216 ± 5.89 ± 3.21.0880.305
Aphelenchus 2143 ± 1.0181 ± 19.02.4790.126
Ditylenchus 213 ± 4.61 ± 1.349.301<0.001***
Filenchus 216 ± 2.29 ± 2.79.9970.004**
Omnivores
Aporcelaimellus 50 ± 0.04 ± 1.94.7190.038*
Eudorylaimus 48 ± 2.43 ± 1.33.6840.064
Labronema 462 ± 4.065 ± 8.01.1960.283
Predators
Discolaimus 58 ± 2.410 ± 3.30.0760.784
Nygolaimus 536 ± 6.942 ± 6.49.3450.005**
Seinura 20 ± 0.06 ± 2.422.167<0.001***

Nematode ecological and functional indices in control and decomposition plots during season 1 and 2_

ControlDecomposition
Index nameMean ± SEMean ± SE F-values P-value
Season 1
Maturity Index (MI)2.41a ± 0.0382.43a ± 0.0400.380.542
Maturity Index (MI2-5)2.47a ± 0.0442.49a ± 0.0360.4090.528
Channel Index (CI)60.35a ± 5.9565.66a ± 5.9480.9850.329
Basal Index (BI)37.82a ± 2.01635.72a ± 1.6521.4520.238
Enrichment Index (EI)34.52a ± 1.45533.03a ± 2.4720.5110.481
Structure Index (SI)53.19a ± 2.53755.73a ± 2.2241.4350.24
Season 2
Maturity Index (MI)2.54a ± 0.0332.26b ± 0.03664.715<0.001***
Maturity Index (MI2-5)2.57a ± 0.0312.33b ± 0.02968.996<0.001***
Channel Index (CI)81.01a ± 4.92368.37b ± 5.86412.359<0.001***
Basal Index (BI)34.44b ± 1.26742.47a ± 1.49565.944<0.001***
Enrichment Index (EI)28.14b ± 2.51935.06a ± 2.94115.409<0.001***
Structure Index (SI)59.91a ± 1.53542.21b ± 2.68941.205<0.001***

Metabolic footprints in control and decomposition plots during season 1 and 2_

ControlDecomposition
Metabolic footprintsMean ± SEMean ± SEF-values P-value
Season 1
Composite footprint5.67a ± 3.4445.77a ± 3.4212.4820.126
Omnivore footprint4.55a ± 1.7504.35a ± 2.5580.8250.371
Structure footprint4.99a ± 2.3455.07a ± 2.7021.2720.268
Predator footprint3.15b ± 2.1273.82a ± 2.11019.678<0.001***
Fungivore footprint2.91a ± 1.2432.94a ± 1.1010.1260.725
Enrichment footprint4.326a ± 2.7974.196a ± 3.2620.5560.462
Bacterivore footprint4.734a ± 3.2674.918a ± 3.3032.4410.129
Season 2
Composite footprint5.68b ± 3.2425.95a ± 4.30111.0180.002**
Omnivore footprint4.23a ± 2.4794.33a ± 2.6570.6790.417
Structure footprint5.22a ± 2.3145.05b ± 2.8704.5000.042*
Predator footprint4.48a ± 2.4853.87b ± 2.5155.8940.021*
Fungivore footprint2.89b ± 1.2603.52a ± 1.97221.683<0.001***
Enrichment footprint3.51b ± 2.7554.43a ± 4.24927.425<0.001***
Bacterivore footprint4.39b ± 2.9455.10a ± 4.26930.782<0.001***
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/jofnem-2021-038 | Journal eISSN: 2640-396X | Journal ISSN: 0022-300X
Journal RSS Feed
Language: English
Page range: 1 - 12
Published on: Jan 1, 2021
Published by: Society of Nematologists, Inc.
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 times per year
Keywords:
Decomposition,
Ecological significance,
Free-living nematodes,
Maize residue,
Soil food web
Related subjects:
Life sciences,
Life sciences, other

© 2021 Samuel Maina, Hannah Karuri, Rossa Nyoike Ng’endo, published by Society of Nematologists, Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Previous articleVolume 53 (2021): Issue 1 (January 2021)Next article