Journal article

Publication year: 2009

Pages: 184-191

Journal: European Journal of Soil Biology

Volume number: 45

Issue number: 2

ISSN: 1164-5563

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2008.09.014

Publisher: Elsevier

Abstract: 
This study investigates the response of the Nematoda community to forest conversion from pure coniferous stands into semi-natural montane forests in the southern Black Forest (Germany). The investigation was carried out by comparing existing stands that represent the four major stages of the envisaged conversion process. Major results are: (i) the number of Nematoda genera was highest at the species enrichment stage pointing to a positive influence of a rich ground vegetation on the diversity of Nematoda, (ii) predaceous species reached a particularly high, and omnivorous species having a particularly low, density at the species enrichment stage, and (iii) root-hair feeding Nematoda profited from qualitative changes of fine roots during the conversion process and gradually increased in abundance from the even-aged pure spruce stands to the diverse continuous cover forests. Altogether the comprehensive investigation of the Nematoda of the four conversion stages indicates that forest conversion only weakly alters the structure of the Nematoda community. Neither an overall change nor a clear trend in Nematoda richness and abundance could be established. However, due to the specific responses of the different Nematoda feeding groups to the conditions of the individual conversion stages it seems to be ecological useful to maintain special qualities of each conversion stage (e.g. forest gaps in the species enrichment stage) during forest conversion protecting the structure and diversity of the Nematoda communities.

Harvard Citation style: Salamon, J. and Wolters, V. (2009) Nematoda response to forest conversion, European Journal of Soil Biology, 45(2), pp. 184-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2008.09.014

APA Citation style: Salamon, J., & Wolters, V. (2009). Nematoda response to forest conversion. European Journal of Soil Biology. 45(2), 184-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2008.09.014