Variation in soil nematode diversity under pasture with soil and year

Abstract

Nematode populations of seven soils with grazed pasture were sampled monthly for 12-36 months and two of the soils received irrigation; a total of 46 nematode genera were identified from the 13 site-years. Diversity, evenness, richness and similarity of the faunae were assessed. Diversity was not related to pasture productivity and evenness was negatively correlated with the abundance (16-44%) of the dominant genus. Genera present were 21-35, but varied from 21 to 27 in one soil during 3 yr. In this group of soils under pasture Czekanowski's similarity coefficient showed replicated sampling within a soil generally yielded nematode faunae more similar to each other than to faunae in other soils, while analysis of variance showed genera to be more influenced by site than month. © 1984.