Effects of agricultural management on nematode–mite assemblages: Soil food web indices as predictors of mite community composition

Biological indicators based on abundances of soil organisms are powerful tools for inferring functional and diversity changes in soils affected by agricultural perturbations. Field plots, combining organic and conventional practices with no tillage, conservation tillage and standard tillage maintained different nematode assemblages and soil food webs. Soil food web indices based on nematode assemblages were reliable predictors of the trophic composition of functional characteristics of soil mite assemblages. Bacterial-feeding and predatory nematodes, together with predatory mites, were abundant in the organic-no till treatments and were associated with high values of the Enrichment and the Structure Index based on nematode assemblages. Conventional-Standard tillage treatments had high abundances of fungal- and plant-feeding nematodes and algivorous mites, associated with high values of the Basal and Channel Index. This study validates the hypothesis that nematode-based soil food web indices are useful indicators of other soil organisms such as mites, with similar functional roles and environmental sensitivities.     

Soil nematode communities are ecologically more mature beneath late- than early-successional stage biological soil crusts

Biological soil crusts are key mediators of carbon and nitrogen inputs for arid land soils and often represent a dominant portion of the soil surface cover in arid lands. Free-living soil nematode communities reflect their environment and have been used as biological indicators of soil condition. In this study, we test the hypothesis that nematode communities are successionally more mature beneath well-developed, late-successional stage crusts than immature, early-successional stage crusts. We identified and enumerated nematodes by genus from beneath early- and late-stage crusts from both the Colorado Plateau, Utah (cool, winter rain desert) and Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico (hot, summer rain desert) at 0–10 and 10–30 cm depths. As hypothesized, nematode abundance, richness, diversity, and successional maturity were greater beneath well-developed crusts than immature crusts. The mechanism of this aboveground–belowground link between biological soil crusts and nematode community composition is likely the increased food, habitat, nutrient inputs, moisture retention, and/or environmental stability provided by late-successional crusts. Canonical correspondence analysis of nematode genera demonstrated that nematode community composition differed greatly between geographic locations that contrast in temperature, precipitation, and soil texture. We found unique assemblages of genera among combinations of location and crust type that reveal a gap in scientific knowledge regarding empirically derived characterization of dominant nematode genera in deserts soils and their functional role in a crust-associated food web.     

Birch invasion of heather moorland increases nematode diversity and trophic complexity

To determine whether successional changes in plant communities may influence belowground community structure, we quantified nematode abundance, trophic structure and diversity along two separate chronosequences from heather moorland to birch woodland in the Scottish uplands. Tree invasion markedly altered plant community composition, and hence litter inputs, both directly, and indirectly through changes in understorey species. In turn, these changes in detrital inputs were reflected in consistent changes in nematode community structure. Nematode abundance increased from moorland to birch woodland, with moorland soils being dominated by a few taxa, notably root-hair and fungal feeders, compared to the more diverse composition of the birch woodland soils. Trophic structure was altered through an increase in the abundance of bacterial feeding relative to fungal-feeding nematodes, and an increase in the abundance of predatory nematodes. The increase in predators during the succession from moorland to woodland was associated with an increase in soil pH, highlighting that not only changes in the plant community, but also changes in soil properties associated with tree invasion may influence soil nematodes. Nematode diversity increased from moorland to birch woodland, with nematode richness being positively related to both plant species richness and soil pH. These results suggest that trees may control soil community structure through the manipulation of resources and the soil physico-chemical environment, promoting greater nematode diversity and trophic complexity.     

Nematodes associated with saffron II: Bioindication for soil health assessment and impact of agricultural practices

BackgroundSaffron cultivation is vital in the Taliouine-Taznakht regions, but the influence of agricultural practices on soil nematode communities, critical for soil health and plant productivity, is not well understood.This study characterizes nematode communities in saffron fields of the Taliouine-Taznakht regions, assessing the impact of various agricultural practices on these communities, with a focus on their diversity, functional roles, and potential as bio-indicators of soil health.A total of 163 soil samples were collected from saffron fields in Taliouine-Taznakht. Nematode communities were identified, quantified, and their functional diversity analyzed. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to visualize relationships between nematode communities and sampling sites. Co-inertia analysis assessed the impact of agricultural practices on nematode diversity.The nematode communities were diverse and varied across regions. PCA identified unique nematode community compositions in different saffron fields. Omnivorous nematodes were strongly linked with Taouyalte (TA), and herbivorous ones were prevalent at Agadir Melloul (AM) and Sidi Hssaine (SH). Modern crop types, high-frequency irrigation, and alfalfa-barley rotation were positively correlated with predator nematode abundance, potentially controlling plant parasitic nematodes and encouraging nutrient cycling. Conversely, monocropping, traditional irrigation, and long plantation age correlated with reduced structure and maturity indices, suggesting a less stable ecosystem.This study unveils the intricate relationships between nematode communities in Taliouine-Taznakht saffron fields and agricultural practices. Findings indicate that specific practices, such as crop rotation and modern irrigation techniques, can foster beneficial nematode groups that improve soil health and potentially regulate harmful plant parasitic nematodes. This knowledge is crucial for crafting sustainable and effective saffron cultivation strategies.     

Effects of organic and other management practices on soil nematode communities in tea plantation: a case study in southern China

Four major tea management practices (organic, pollution‐free, conventional, and semi‐natural) are employed in Chinese tea plantations at present. These practices can induce changes in the physiochemical parameters, microorganism community and enzyme activity in tea plantation soil. However, understanding of their effects on soil nematodes is still scarce. This study aimed to investigate whether and how different management practices affect the biodiversity, function, and structure of soil nematode communities in tea plantation habitats. The soil nematode community structures and ecological indices were determined from the soil samples collected more than 6 y after their respective farming practices were first applied, and different management practices did not greatly affect soil nematode community evenness or species diversity, but organic practice increased nematode trophic diversity, common species diversity, and species richness. Pollution‐free practice considerably increased fungivorous nematodes, and both pollution‐free and conventional practice decreased bacterivorous nematodes markedly in the subsurface layers of soil. Predator and omnivorous nematodes were found to be more abundant in semi‐natural plantation. Organic practice was more sustainable and suitable for tea cultivation, with the greatest biodiversity, best nutrient conditions, higher and more stable C/N ratio and lower interference in the food web.     

Urbanization alters the functional composition,but not taxonomic diversity,of the soil nematode community

We evaluated the response of riparian forest soil nematode community structure to the physico-chemical environment associated with urban land use. Soils were sampled seasonally between December 2000 and October 2002 along an urban—rural transect in Asheville, North Carolina. We characterized the taxonomic (to genus) and functional composition (trophic groups) of the nematode community of forest soils, as well as several nematode ecological indicators (maturity index, channel index, weighted faunal index). The diversity of nematode genera was not affected by urban land use. However, there tended to be functional differences in the nematode communities along the land use gradient. The urban soils tended to have lower abundances of predatory and omnivorous nematodes. Differences in channel index scores indicated that there was less fungal dominance in the soil food webs of the urban soils. Our results indicate that the functional composition of the soil food web is an important component of soil biodiversity that can be affected by land use practices. This study was conducted in a relatively small city; hence the influence of pollutants on the soil environment was not as great as in larger cities. Correspondingly, the impact on the soil nematode community was not very severe. The utilization of the nematode community assemblage as an indicator of soil conditions should be further explored in urban places of differing magnitudes of environmental effects.     

Successional trends in the characteristics of soil nematode communities in cropped and fallow lands in Senegal (Sonkorong)

Soil nematode communities in the 0–15 cm soil layer are used as indicators for describing the processes of fallow succession in the semi-arid zone of West Africa (Senegal). Abundance of plant feeding nematodes, non-plant feeding nematodes, plant parasite index (PPI), species richness and Shannon evenness of plant parasitic nematodes were measured at five stages of succession: fields, early (1–3 years), intermediate (8–10 years), old (18–20 years) fallows, and forest stage. These nematological indexes were analyzed simultaneously by multivariate analysis to show the indicative properties of nematode communities. Overall, changes in abundance of nematode groups, PPI and diversity, show continuous trends from early fallow to mature stages of the succession; these trends parallel theoretical trends in secondary succession. In addition, soil nematode parameters were meaningful and expressed interactions of various uncontrolled factors with successional processes, such as environmental conditions or cropping history. During the 3 years of the survey, the structure of nematode communities, described by index analysis, showed little temporal change and supported the use of nematodes as stable indicators.     

Structure of the microbial biomass and trophic groups of nematodes in soddy-podzolic soils of a postagrogenic succession in the southern taiga (Tver oblast)

The structure of the microbial biomass and trophic nematode groups were studied in soddy-podzolic soils under phytocenoses of a secondary succession initiated by the growth of forests on agricultural lands in the southern taiga. The microbial biomass became greater with the increasing amount of fungal mycelium, and the bacterial pool little changed in these soils. Bacteriovorous nematodes predominated (64% of the total number of nematodes) in the soils of a potato field, where the bacterial biomass was maximal; it was greater or close to the fungal biomass. In the soil under a mown meadow, where the fungal biomass was greater, the populations of fungivorous and bacteriovorous nematodes were close in number and share in the nematode complex (by 40%). In the soil under a spruce forest (climax stage), the main biomass pool was composed of fungi (97%), whose biomass is maximal, while fungivorous nematodes and nematodes with a mixed type of feeding occupy the dominant positions (69% in the nematode complex). In the course of the succession, the number of fungivorous and bacteriovorous nematodes decreased, but their ratio increased from 0.4 in the soil of the potato field to 0.8–1.0 under the meadows and mixed forest and to 2.0 in the soil under the sorrel spruce forest. These changes corresponded to the increasing microbial pool and the share of the fungal biomass in it.     

Nematodes as soil indicators: functional and biodiversity aspects

Since it has become appreciated that soil nematode assemblages are abundant, diverse and contribute to soil nutrient turnover, they have been increasingly used as indicators of soil condition. Use of nematodes as functional indicators relies on the allocation of nematodes to feeding groups and reproductive strategies; in both cases groupings are uncertain. Species within feeding groups vary in their food resources and response to environmental variables, as shown by the difficulties in managing plant-pathogenic nematodes. Therefore species-level discrimination is necessary to permit further advances in understanding the role of nematodes in soil processes and thus in ecosystem resilience. Analysis of published nematode lists shows that among the bacterial-feeding nematodes Cephalobidae are often the most abundant group in soils; Rhabditidae may increase following a resource pulse; in stressed, natural environments Plectidae may be important. To be comparable with other biota, nematode biodiversity assessment requires species-level identification. In many jurisdictions such identification will be difficult due to inadequate systematic knowledge of the nematode fauna.     

设施菜地种植年限对土壤理化性质和生物学特征的影响

【目的】 研究分析北京郊区不同种植年限设施菜地的土壤生态环境、土壤理化性状、土壤微生物数量、土壤线虫群落结构的差异,为不同种植年限设施菜地土壤管理提供科学依据。 【方法】 以露地土壤为对照 (CK),采集种植 3年、5年、8年和 12年的0—30 cm设施蔬菜土壤样品,采用常规土壤理化性质检测方法测定了土壤的理化性状,采用荧光定量法和线虫形态学鉴定方法,分析土壤细菌、真菌数量以及土壤线虫群落组成。 【结果】 随种植年限增加,设施菜地土壤容重和pH值均明显下降,总孔隙度、EC值、SO₄2–、Ca2+、有机碳、NH₄+-N、NO₃–-N含量均持续升高。与CK相比,种植年限 3年、5年、8年、12年的样地土壤细菌和真菌的数量均显著增加 (P < 0.05)。随种植年限增加,根结线虫属 ( Meloidogyne)、螺旋属 (Helicotylenchus)、异皮属 (Heterodera) 丰度逐渐增加;土壤线虫密度、植物寄生性线虫丰度显著增加 (P < 0.05),而食细菌、食真菌、杂食/捕食线虫丰度逐渐降低。线虫群落的多样性 H′、SR指数和均匀性J′ 指数均呈现出先增加后降低趋势,与CK相比,种植年限 12年样地的指标值显著降低 (P < 0.05)。所有种植样地NCR > 0.5,表明样地土壤食物网以食细菌通道为主,土壤有机质以细菌分解途径为主。WI、MI指数逐渐降低,而PPI指数表现出相反的趋势,其中种植年限12年样地WI < 1,这表明土壤矿化途径转变为以植物到植食性线虫为主要参与者,土壤生态系统受干扰程度逐渐增强,土壤健康状况变差。土壤环境因子与土壤生物数量间的冗余分析表明,土壤pH 、总孔隙度、容重、EC值、有机碳、SO ₄2–、NH₄+-N、NO₃–-N是影响细菌、真菌和线虫数量的关键因子,不同种植年限设施菜地由于改变这些因素而影响土壤生物群落组成。 【结论】 连续种植导致京郊设施菜地盐分含量显著升高、养分失衡、土壤酸化。理化性状的变化改变了细菌和真菌数量,进而导致土壤线虫总数、植物寄生性线虫比率逐渐增加,尤其根结线虫属比率增加显著,食细菌、真菌和杂食/捕食线虫比率逐渐降低。以种植12年后的土壤受干扰程度最大,土壤微生态失衡最严重。      

Effects of a one-year rainfall manipulation on soil nematode abundances and community composition

Soil nematodes play a crucial role in the terrestrial nitrogen cycle by accelerating the release of ammonium from microorganisms (bacteria and fungi). As aquatic organisms, nematodes are likely to be affected by predicted changes in precipitation patterns and soil moisture during the 21st century. The objective of this study was to measure the response of soil nematodes to a one-year rainfall manipulation in the sandy, forest soils of the New Jersey Pinelands (USA). We excluded all rain from four replicate field plots and applied double the amount of natural rainfall to four additional plots. We then assessed the impact of these precipitation treatments on nematode abundance and community composition. We found that total nematode abundance increased with more precipitation, and were highly sensitive to annual precipitation amount. This is in contrast to microbial biomass which was previously found to be insensitive to precipitation change. We suggest that any increased microbial growth in high rainfall plots was consumed by microbivorous nematodes. We further suggest that nematodes in the freely draining, sandy soils we studied may be unsuccessful at surviving drought because few water-filled pore spaces remain, as compared to more aggregated soils. All nematode families were sensitive to drought, but the effect was greatest on the Plectidae, while no significant effects were found for the Cephalobidae and Qudsianematidae. While not directly measured, these results provide insight into the relative anhydrobiotic abilities of these families. We found that bacterial-feeding nematodes were most sensitive to drought, suggesting that grazer-induced alterations to the nitrogen cycle are possible if precipitation patterns change in the future.     

Community composition,diversity and metabolic footprints of soil nematodes in differently-aged temperate forests

Soil nematode communities can provide important information about soil food web structure and function. However, how soil nematode communities and their metabolic footprints change over time in temperate forests is not well known. We examined the changes in the composition, diversity and metabolic footprints of soil nematode communities in three differently-aged (young, mid and old) forests of the Changbai Mountains, China. Carbon flows through different nematode trophic groups were also quantified based on nematode biomasses. The results showed that the highest abundance and diversity of total nematodes was found in the mid forest. Nematode communities were characterized by the replenishment in abundance but not the replacement of dominant genera. A low enrichment footprint in the young forest suggests a decline in available prey, while a high enrichment footprint in the mid forest indicates an increase in resource entry into soil food web. The relationship between the carbon flows of omnivores-predators and fungivores was stronger than that among other trophic groups. Our study shows that bottom-up effects of the vegetation, the soil environment and the connectedness of nematode trophic groups are all important driving forces for nematode community structure in temperate forests.     

Pressure plate studies to determine how moisture affects access of bacterial-feeding nematodes to food in soil

Nematode activity in the soil depends on the presence of free water. We conducted pressure plate experiments to understand better how soil matric potential and structural degradation affect the population growth of three bacterial‐feeding nematodes (Cephalobus, Pristionchus, Rhabditis). We took undisturbed cores from six soils (sand, silt loam and silty clay loam with four management regimes), and removed all fauna from them. Ten or 30 nematodes were added, and pressures corresponding to soil matric potentials of ?10, ?33, ?50, ?100 or ?1500 kPa were applied for 35 days. The nematodes were then counted. Significant reproduction of all bacterial‐feeding nematodes occurred when the diameters of water‐filled pores were approximately 1 μm. This confirms observations using repacked soils and field manipulations. Only for Pristionchus did declining populations match the reduction in total soil porosity related to intensification of land use on the silty clay loam. We had not expected Cephalobus to have the fastest increase in population of the three nematodes in intact soil cores, and our evidence questions the relative importance given to the three nematode families in soil processes. The differing rates of population increase of the three nematodes in the various soils reflect both habitable pore space and trophic interactions. This suggests that the very diversity of nematode assemblages is crucial in the resilience of biological soil processes. That water‐filled pores as small as 1 μm provide suitable spaces for sizeable populations of bacterial‐feeding nematodes accords with the observed migration of infective juveniles of trichostrongylid nematodes and mermithids in water films on herbage. Our results imply that assessment of the role of nematodes in soil processes may be a key to the understanding of biological interactions in water films, and the selection pressures on nematode morphology.     

嘎隆拉山铁杉林土壤线虫群落结构与多样性研究

为了解西藏墨脱嘎隆拉山铁杉林土壤生态系统线虫群落的结构及多样性特征,采用种类组成、个体密度、多样性指数、功能性指数等特征值分析土壤线虫群落结构及多样性特点,并通过冗余分析及线性相关性分析探讨线虫群落与土壤理化性质间的关系.结果显示,嘎隆拉山铁杉林土壤线虫隶属于5目29科34属,个体密度介于0～1231条?100 g–1...     

Abundance,diversity and connectance of soil food web channels along environmental gradients in an agricultural landscape

Soil food webs respond to anthropogenic and natural environmental variables and gradients. We studied abundance, connectance (a measure of the trophic interactions within each channel), and diversity in three different channels of the soil food web, each comprised of a resource-consumer pair: the microbivore channel (microbes and their nematode grazers), the plant–herbivore channel (plants and plant-feeding nematodes), and the predator–prey channel (predatory nematodes and their nematode prey), and their associations with different gradients in a heterogeneous agricultural landscape that consisted of intensive row crop agriculture and grazed non-irrigated grasslands in central California. Samples were taken at three positions in relation to water channels: water’s edge, bench above waterway, and the adjacent arable or grazed field. Nematode communities, phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers, and soil properties (NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N, total N, total C, pH, P, bulk density and soil texture) were measured, and riparian health ratings were scored. Environmental variables were obtained from publicly-available data sources (slope, elevation, available water capacity, erodability, hydraulic conductivity, exchangeable cation capacity, organic matter, clay and sand content and pH).The abundance and richness in most food web components were higher in grazed grasslands than in intensive agricultural fields. Consumers contributed less than their resources to the abundance and richness of the community in all channels. The association between richness and abundance for each component was strongest for the lowest trophic links (microbes, as inferred by PLFA) and weakest for the highest (predatory nematodes). The trophic interactions for the predator–prey and plant–herbivore channels were greater in the grassland than in the cropland. Fields for crops or grazing supported more interactions than the water’s edge in the plant–herbivore and microbivore channels. Connectance increased with the total richness of each community. Higher connectance within the microbivore and predator–prey soil food web channels were associated with soil NO₃⁻-N and elevation respectively, which served as surrogate indicators of high and low agricultural intensification.     

科尔沁沙地流动沙丘土壤线虫群落组成与多样性研究

本文对科尔沁沙地流动沙丘不同坡位(丘间地、过渡带、迎风坡中部、坡顶、背风坡上部和下部)和不同土层深度(0 ～ 20、20 ～ 40和40 ～ 60 cm)的土壤线虫群落组成与多样性进行了比较研究.研究结果表明,流动沙丘土壤线虫具有显著的坡位效应,而垂直分布特征不显著.丘间地和背风坡下部具有较高数量和较多种类的土壤线虫,而过渡带和迎风坡中部土壤线虫数量较低、种类也较少.不同坡位土壤线虫总数、食细菌线虫、食真菌线虫和植物寄生线虫数量存在显著差异.除食细菌线虫外,不同土层土壤线虫总数及其各营养类群均无显著差异.土壤含水量和电导率是影响土壤线虫群落空间分布格局的主要因素.土壤线虫群落分布格局的变化反映了流动沙丘土壤微环境的变化,对土壤质量具有一定的指示作用.     

Land‐Use Effects on Soil Nutrient Cycling and Microbial Community Dynamics in the Everglades Agricultural Area,Florida

Soil subsidence has become a critical problem since the onset of drainage of the organic soils in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), which may impair current land uses in the future. The objectives of this study were to characterize soil microbial community‐level physiology profiles, extracellular enzymatic activities, microbial biomass, and nutrient pools for four land uses: sugarcane, turfgrass, pasture, and forest. Long‐term cultivation and management significantly altered the distribution and cycling of nutrients and microbial community composition and activity in the EAA, especially for sugarcane and turf fields. The least‐managed fields under pasture had the lowest microbial biomass and phosphorus (P) levels. Turf and forest had more microbial metabolic diversity than pasture or the most intensively managed sugarcane fields. Land‐use changes from sugarcane cropping to turf increased microbial activity and organic‐matter decomposition rates, indicating that changes from agricultural to urban land uses may further contribute to soil subsidence.     

Suppression of root-knot nematodes in natural and agricultural soils

The potential of the invertebrate communities in agricultural and natural soils to suppress Meloidogyne incognita on coleus (Coleus blumei) was evaluated in two greenhouse experiments. Soil from adjacent natural and agricultural habitats was collected from four locations that had very different soil types (loamy sand, muck, sand and rock). Soil of each type was placed into pots, planted with coleus seedlings, inoculated with 2000 eggs of M. incognita, and arranged in a 4 × 2 factorial design. Root-knot nematodes were suppressed in natural soil compared to agricultural soil for loamy sand, sand and rock soils, but not for muck soil. Plants grew larger and had less root galling in natural soils than in agricultural soils. Free-living nematodes (bacterivores, fungivores, omnivores and predators) were monitored but did not show population patterns consistent with the suppression of root-knot nematodes observed in natural soils. Reasons for the opposite result (higher root-knot levels in natural than in agricultural soil) on muck soil are unknown, but this soil type was very different from the other soils in its unusually high organic matter content and very low levels of omnivorous and predatory nematodes. The agricultural muck in particular was unusually low in fungivorous nematodes and extremely high in levels of sodium and macronutrients. Despite the exception on the muck soil, the relative suppression of root-knot nematodes in natural compared to agricultural soils of the other three soil types (loamy sand, sand and rock) support the idea that potential for nematode suppression may be greater in natural than in agricultural soils.     

Land-use intensification and agroforestry in the Kenyan highland: Impacts on soil microbial community composition and functional capacity

This study investigates microbial communities in soil from sites under different land use in Kenya. We sampled natural forest, forest plantations, agricultural fields of agroforestry farms, agricultural fields with traditional farming and eroded soil on the slopes of Mount Elgon, Kenya. We hypothesised that microbial decomposition capacity, biomass and diversity (1) decreases with intensified cultivation; and (2) can be restored by soil and land management in agroforestry. Functional capacity of soil microbial communities was estimated by degradation of 31 substrates on Biolog EcoPlates™. Microbial community composition and biomass were characterised by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and microbial C and N analyses. All 31 substrates were metabolised in all studied soil types, i.e. functional diversity did not differ. However, both the substrate utilisation rates and the microbial biomass decreased with intensification of land use, and the biomass was positively correlated with organic matter content. Multivariate analysis of PLFA and Biolog EcoPlate™ data showed clear differences between land uses, also indicated by different relative abundance of PLFA markers for certain microorganism groups. In conclusion, our results show that vegetation and land use control the substrate utilisation capacity and microbial community composition and that functional capacity of depleted soils can be restored by active soil management, e.g. forest plantation. However, although 20–30 years of agroforestry farming practises did result in improved soil microbiological and chemical conditions of agricultural soil as compared to traditional agricultural fields, the change was not statistically significant.     

土壤线虫群落对过量施用农用化学品的响应

为研究施用过量的农用化学品对土壤线虫群落组成及多样性的影响,采用定点试验的方法,在哈尔滨市呼兰区选择典型农田生态系统进行试验,对比研究土壤线虫群落对施用过量的氮肥、磷肥、钾肥、除草剂及杀虫剂的响应。在试验田中共鉴定出土壤线虫27科45属,其中Cephalobus和Aphelenchus为优势属。施用不同浓度的各类农用化学品对土壤线虫群落组成、多样性均产生一定影响。线虫总数及食细菌线虫、食真菌线虫、植物寄生线虫数量在不同处理间均存在显著差异(P<0.05);其中,植物寄生线虫的相对丰度随化肥施用量的升高呈增加趋势。从土壤线虫的生态指数来看,除PPI(植物寄生线虫成熟指数)外,其他生态指数[MI(成熟度指数)、F/B(食真菌线虫与食细菌线虫数量比值)、Evenness(均匀度指数)、SR(丰富度指数)、H’(多样性指数)]在施用不同农用化学品处理之间也存在显著差异,并且,MI随着施用钾肥、氮肥浓度的增加而降低。土壤线虫可以作为揭示施用农用化学品过程中土壤质量变化的生物学指标,其群落及多样性的变化表明土壤线虫群落对农用化学品的过量施用产生了响应,过量施用农用化学品会增加土壤生态系统的干扰,对土壤环境造成威胁。