Nematofauna of the shelterbelts in the agricultural landscape

Trophic structure, number and density of taxa, generic diversity, and maturity indices were compared for soil nematode communities inhabiting a 170-year-old shelterbelt, 6-year-old shelterbelt, and a maize field adjacent to the younger shelterbelt. The study was conducted in an area of long-term research near Turew (Wielkopolska Region, West Poland). Sampling sites in the crop field were located at distances of 0.5 m, 10 m and 50 m from the younger shelterbelt. In the soil of shelterbelts more taxa occurred in comparison with the cropland, the index of generic diversity was higher, the dominance of nematodes of the class Secernentea (r-strategists s.l.) over Adenophorea (K-strategists s.l.) was lower, community maturity indices and bacterivore maturity index were higher, and the ratio of plant parasite index to maturity index was lower, providing evidence for a more advanced stage of succession in the shelterbelts. In the maize field, fungivorous and plant feeding nematodes predominated, with a strong dominance of one of the taxa pathogenic to plants (Pratylenchus). The effect of 6-year old shelterbelt on nematode community in maize crop field was observed in the field part closest to the shelterbelt.