The integration of nematode communities into the soil biological health framework by factor analysis
A critique of the soil health framework is that biological indicators currently lag behind chemical and physical indicators of soil health. Incorporating nematode communities into the soil health framework could help to better reflect key aspects of soil food web structure and function and significa...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X22001479 |
| _version_ | 1818910156664078336 |
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| author | Tvisha Martin Jordon Wade Prabhjot Singh Christine D. Sprunger |
| author_facet | Tvisha Martin Jordon Wade Prabhjot Singh Christine D. Sprunger |
| author_sort | Tvisha Martin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A critique of the soil health framework is that biological indicators currently lag behind chemical and physical indicators of soil health. Incorporating nematode communities into the soil health framework could help to better reflect key aspects of soil food web structure and function and significantly contribute to ecosystem processes. However, little is understood regarding how nematode communities relate to soil biological health indicators such as permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), soil protein, mineralizable C, and enzyme activities in agroecosystems. Here, we use an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to quantitatively explore which set of soil health indicators best explain a given factor (i.e. soil health trait) using data from two long term experimental trials and 44 farm fields across Ohio. Specifically, this paper aims to 1) integrate our understanding of nematode structure and function with other soil biological health indicators to describe soil health traits; and 2) determine how management practices alter soil health traits. We found that soil biological health indicators represented four underlying soil health traits: fungal organic matter processing pathway, the rate of nutrient cycling, trophic complexity, and cumulative disturbance. Results indicated that soil biological health indicators, such as enzyme activities, POXC, mineralizable C and soil protein were more integrated with nematode feeding groups than with nematode indices. Additionally, tillage intensity had a significant effect on the fungal organic matter processing pathway and the rate of nutrient cycling. This study indicates that nematode feeding groups can be readily incorporated into the soil health framework and future soil health assessments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:38:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa812f5db7a54446aa2c0f92b1a8767e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:38:20Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa812f5db7a54446aa2c0f92b1a8767e2022-12-21T20:03:09ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2022-03-01136108676The integration of nematode communities into the soil biological health framework by factor analysisTvisha Martin0Jordon Wade1Prabhjot Singh2Christine D. Sprunger3School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Ave Wooster, OH, United States; Corresponding author.School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States; Soil Health Assessment Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United StatesSchool of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Ave Wooster, OH, United StatesSchool of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Ave Wooster, OH, United StatesA critique of the soil health framework is that biological indicators currently lag behind chemical and physical indicators of soil health. Incorporating nematode communities into the soil health framework could help to better reflect key aspects of soil food web structure and function and significantly contribute to ecosystem processes. However, little is understood regarding how nematode communities relate to soil biological health indicators such as permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), soil protein, mineralizable C, and enzyme activities in agroecosystems. Here, we use an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to quantitatively explore which set of soil health indicators best explain a given factor (i.e. soil health trait) using data from two long term experimental trials and 44 farm fields across Ohio. Specifically, this paper aims to 1) integrate our understanding of nematode structure and function with other soil biological health indicators to describe soil health traits; and 2) determine how management practices alter soil health traits. We found that soil biological health indicators represented four underlying soil health traits: fungal organic matter processing pathway, the rate of nutrient cycling, trophic complexity, and cumulative disturbance. Results indicated that soil biological health indicators, such as enzyme activities, POXC, mineralizable C and soil protein were more integrated with nematode feeding groups than with nematode indices. Additionally, tillage intensity had a significant effect on the fungal organic matter processing pathway and the rate of nutrient cycling. This study indicates that nematode feeding groups can be readily incorporated into the soil health framework and future soil health assessments.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X22001479Exploratory factor analysisSoil biological healthNematodesAgroecosystems |
| spellingShingle | Tvisha Martin Jordon Wade Prabhjot Singh Christine D. Sprunger The integration of nematode communities into the soil biological health framework by factor analysis Ecological Indicators Exploratory factor analysis Soil biological health Nematodes Agroecosystems |
| title | The integration of nematode communities into the soil biological health framework by factor analysis |
| title_full | The integration of nematode communities into the soil biological health framework by factor analysis |
| title_fullStr | The integration of nematode communities into the soil biological health framework by factor analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The integration of nematode communities into the soil biological health framework by factor analysis |
| title_short | The integration of nematode communities into the soil biological health framework by factor analysis |
| title_sort | integration of nematode communities into the soil biological health framework by factor analysis |
| topic | Exploratory factor analysis Soil biological health Nematodes Agroecosystems |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X22001479 |
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