Soil nematode community structure in a Chinese sand dune system

Soil nematode community structure was studied in a terrestrial sand dune system of the Horqin Sandy Land, Northeast China. The nematode abundance and generic composition in four sites (from the lowland, the middle part of windward slope and the top of windward slope to leeward slope) and three soil layers (0–20 cm, 20–40 cm and 40–60 cm) of the stabilized sand dune were compared. The results showed the total number of nematodes which ranged from 11 to 160 individuals per 100 g dry soils was significantly different among the sites and the depths (P < 0.05). Thirty genera were observed and Acrobeles was the dominant genus in our investigation. A significant difference in the abundance of bacterivores was found among the depths (P < 0.01). The total numbers of nematodes and plant parasites positively correlated with electronic conductivity, soil moisture, total organic carbon and nitrogen contents (P < 0.05). S, TD, NCR and PPI were found to be sensitive to environmental stress in the stabilized sand dune system.