Nematode Community-Based Soil Food Web Analysis of Ferralsol, Lithosol and Nitosol Soil Groups in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi Reveals Distinct Soil Health Degradations

Diversity

Senol Yildiz¹  Haddish Melakeberhan¹  ZinThuZar Maung¹  Isaac Lartey¹  Jenni Gronseth²  Jiaguo Qi²  Thomas Adjei-Gyapong³  Charles Kwoseh³  JohnW. Kimenju⁴  GeorgeN. Karuku⁴ 

[1] Agricultural Nematology Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University (MSU), East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, MSU, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, PMB, UPO, Kumasi, Ghana;University of Nairobi, P.O Box 30197, G.P.O, Nairobi, Kenya;

关键词: biodiversity;    degradation;    ecosystems;    nematodes;    small-holder agriculture;    soil health;   

DOI  :  10.3390/d13030101

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Determining if the vast soil health degradations across the seven major soil groups (orders) of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can be managed on the basis of a one-size-fits-all or location-specific approach is limited by a lack of soil group-based understanding of soil health degradations. We used the relationship between changes in nematode population dynamics relative to food and reproduction (enrichment, EI) and resistance to disturbance (structure, SI) indices to characterize the soil food web (SFW) and soil health conditions of Ferralsol, Lithosol and Nitosol soil groups in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. We applied bivariate correlations of EI, SI, soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), and texture (sand, silt and clay) to identify integrated indicator parameters, and principal component analysis (PCA) to determine how all measured parameters, soil groups, and countries align. A total of 512 georeferenced soil samples from disturbed (agricultural) and undisturbed (natural vegetation) landscapes were analyzed. Nematode trophic group abundance was low and varied by soil group, landscape and country. The resource-limited and degraded SFW conditions separated by soil groups and by country. EI and SI correlation with SOC varied by landscape, soil group or country. PCA alignment showed separation of soil groups within and across countries. The study developed the first biophysicochemical proof-of-concept that the soil groups need to be treated separately when formulating scalable soil health management strategies in SSA.

【 授权许可】

Unknown