Food web structure of nematode communities in irrigated rice fields
Nematodes are a key component of the soil food web and they play an important role in the provision of ecosystem services. Rice cultivation in Mwea, Kenya involves the intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides which may affect the complexity of the nematode-based soil food web. This study examined...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023003900 |
| _version_ | 1811161859919708160 |
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| author | Dorcas Mokuah Hannah Karuri Justine M. Nyaga |
| author_facet | Dorcas Mokuah Hannah Karuri Justine M. Nyaga |
| author_sort | Dorcas Mokuah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nematodes are a key component of the soil food web and they play an important role in the provision of ecosystem services. Rice cultivation in Mwea, Kenya involves the intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides which may affect the complexity of the nematode-based soil food web. This study examined the nematode diversity and food web structure in irrigated rice fields in Nyangati and Tebere in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, Kenya. Nematodes were identified up to the genus level and soil physico-chemical properties were also determined. Aphelenchoides and Longidorus occurred in significantly greater proportions in Tebere, while in Nyangati there was a high abundance of Helicotylenchus. Aphelenchoides was positively correlated to soil electrical conductivity. From additive diversity partitioning of genus richness, the α and β components contributed 33.7% and 66.3% of the γ diversity, respectively. For Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, the largest contribution to overall diversity was from α component. Soil food web indices were similar across the two regions. Channel and basal indices were below 30% while Enrichment (EI) and Structure (SI) indices were above 50%. There was no variation in metabolic footprints except for the fungivore footprint which was significantly higher in Tebere. Based on the EI and SI, the soil food web in paddy rice fields in Mwea was structured and enriched with moderate disturbance. Due to the high prevalence of economically damaging parasitic nematodes in the rice fields, appropriate management schemes that enhance specific components of the soil food web and increase the suppressive ability of soil against plant-parasitic nematodes should be implemented. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T06:20:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ada7bc327422443f98e235220ddedfd5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T06:20:50Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-ada7bc327422443f98e235220ddedfd52023-03-02T05:00:22ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-02-0192e13183Food web structure of nematode communities in irrigated rice fieldsDorcas Mokuah0Hannah Karuri1Justine M. Nyaga2Department of Biological Sciences, P.O Box 6-60100, University of Embu, KenyaCorresponding author.; Department of Biological Sciences, P.O Box 6-60100, University of Embu, KenyaDepartment of Biological Sciences, P.O Box 6-60100, University of Embu, KenyaNematodes are a key component of the soil food web and they play an important role in the provision of ecosystem services. Rice cultivation in Mwea, Kenya involves the intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides which may affect the complexity of the nematode-based soil food web. This study examined the nematode diversity and food web structure in irrigated rice fields in Nyangati and Tebere in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, Kenya. Nematodes were identified up to the genus level and soil physico-chemical properties were also determined. Aphelenchoides and Longidorus occurred in significantly greater proportions in Tebere, while in Nyangati there was a high abundance of Helicotylenchus. Aphelenchoides was positively correlated to soil electrical conductivity. From additive diversity partitioning of genus richness, the α and β components contributed 33.7% and 66.3% of the γ diversity, respectively. For Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, the largest contribution to overall diversity was from α component. Soil food web indices were similar across the two regions. Channel and basal indices were below 30% while Enrichment (EI) and Structure (SI) indices were above 50%. There was no variation in metabolic footprints except for the fungivore footprint which was significantly higher in Tebere. Based on the EI and SI, the soil food web in paddy rice fields in Mwea was structured and enriched with moderate disturbance. Due to the high prevalence of economically damaging parasitic nematodes in the rice fields, appropriate management schemes that enhance specific components of the soil food web and increase the suppressive ability of soil against plant-parasitic nematodes should be implemented.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023003900Ecological indicesMetabolic footprintsOryza sativaPaddy |
| spellingShingle | Dorcas Mokuah Hannah Karuri Justine M. Nyaga Food web structure of nematode communities in irrigated rice fields Heliyon Ecological indices Metabolic footprints Oryza sativa Paddy |
| title | Food web structure of nematode communities in irrigated rice fields |
| title_full | Food web structure of nematode communities in irrigated rice fields |
| title_fullStr | Food web structure of nematode communities in irrigated rice fields |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food web structure of nematode communities in irrigated rice fields |
| title_short | Food web structure of nematode communities in irrigated rice fields |
| title_sort | food web structure of nematode communities in irrigated rice fields |
| topic | Ecological indices Metabolic footprints Oryza sativa Paddy |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023003900 |
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