TY - JOUR
T1 - Responses of nematode abundances to increased and reduced rainfall under field conditions
T2 - A meta-analysis
AU - Bristol, Dylan
AU - Hassan, Kamrul
AU - Blankinship, Joseph C.
AU - Nielsen, Uffe N.
N1 - Funding Information:
The work was supported by funding from the Australian Research Council awarded to Uffe N. Nielsen (DP150104199 and DP190101968).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Ecosphere published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Ecosystems are projected to experience altered precipitation patterns associated with climate change, with some areas becoming wetter and others drier. Both above- and belowground communities will be impacted by such rainfall changes, yet research has predominantly focused on the flora and fauna aboveground. Still, there is a growing body of literature for the effects of altered precipitation on soil fauna. Nematodes are diverse and abundant in most soils, represent multiple trophic levels, and influence essential soil processes, making this group a good proxy for broader impacts on soil food webs. Hence, we assessed the effects of increased and reduced rainfall amount on total and trophic-level abundances of nematodes using a meta-analytical approach based on 46 independent observations from 37 field studies and tested whether effects differed among ecosystem types and with treatment duration (<1 year, short term; >1 year, long term). Overall, total and trophic group's abundances, except fungal feeders, were negatively impacted by reduced rainfall irrespectively of treatment duration. Increased rainfall had a positive effect on total abundances and plant parasitic nematodes, but only in longer term studies (>1 year). The impacts of altered rainfall were consistent across the ecosystems studied; however, most studies focus on grasslands and deserts, making it difficult to draw broad generalizations. Reductions in rainfall are therefore likely to decrease soil nematode abundance, with less pronounced effects on fungal feeders. Increased rainfall, on the other hand, may favor plant parasites, likely due to increased plant productivity. Hence, projections of reduced rainfall will have significant negative impacts on nematode abundances, at least in grasslands and deserts, with cascading effects on soil processes.
AB - Ecosystems are projected to experience altered precipitation patterns associated with climate change, with some areas becoming wetter and others drier. Both above- and belowground communities will be impacted by such rainfall changes, yet research has predominantly focused on the flora and fauna aboveground. Still, there is a growing body of literature for the effects of altered precipitation on soil fauna. Nematodes are diverse and abundant in most soils, represent multiple trophic levels, and influence essential soil processes, making this group a good proxy for broader impacts on soil food webs. Hence, we assessed the effects of increased and reduced rainfall amount on total and trophic-level abundances of nematodes using a meta-analytical approach based on 46 independent observations from 37 field studies and tested whether effects differed among ecosystem types and with treatment duration (<1 year, short term; >1 year, long term). Overall, total and trophic group's abundances, except fungal feeders, were negatively impacted by reduced rainfall irrespectively of treatment duration. Increased rainfall had a positive effect on total abundances and plant parasitic nematodes, but only in longer term studies (>1 year). The impacts of altered rainfall were consistent across the ecosystems studied; however, most studies focus on grasslands and deserts, making it difficult to draw broad generalizations. Reductions in rainfall are therefore likely to decrease soil nematode abundance, with less pronounced effects on fungal feeders. Increased rainfall, on the other hand, may favor plant parasites, likely due to increased plant productivity. Hence, projections of reduced rainfall will have significant negative impacts on nematode abundances, at least in grasslands and deserts, with cascading effects on soil processes.
KW - ecosystem function
KW - ecosystem process
KW - experimental duration
KW - nematode trophic groups
KW - rainfall regime
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U2 - 10.1002/ecs2.4364
DO - 10.1002/ecs2.4364
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85147161710
SN - 2150-8925
VL - 14
JO - Ecosphere
JF - Ecosphere
IS - 1
M1 - e4364
ER -