![Page 1: Howard Ferris Department of Nematology University of California, Davis November, 2010 Stewardship of Soil Ecosystem Services](https://reader035.vdocuments.mx/reader035/viewer/2022062515/56649c4f5503460f948f6b69/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Howard FerrisDepartment of Nematology
University of California, DavisNovember, 2010
Stewardshipof
Soil Ecosystem Services
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CO2
carbohydratesand
proteins
carbohydratesand
amino acids
bacteria
nematodes
fungi
CO2
NH3
NO3
protozoanematodes
nematodesarthropods
fungi
arthropodsnematodes
NH3
otherorganisms
NH3
CO2 CO2
C
N
Carbon and energy transfer• Carbon is respired by all
organisms in the food web
• The amounts of Carbon and Energy available limit the size and activity of the web
The soil ecosystem is strongly affected by type and frequency of Carbon and Energy input
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Time
Inp
ut
Bio
mas
s
Infrequent (Punctuated) Resource Input
Carbon and Energy Subsidy Effects
Prey resources
Predators
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Time
Inp
ut
Bio
mas
s
Frequent (Continuous) Resource Input
Carbon and EnergySubsidy Effects
Prey resources
Predators
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• Consistent N-yield over 75 years without input
• N-yield similar to that of high input wheat
Structure Index
Basal Index
From Glover et al., 2010
Land-use change in Kansas
Resource Inputs:Bottom up effects on Soil Ecosystem Structureand Function
Community Ecology
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Individual speciesservices
Aggregateecosystem services
Soil Ecosystem Functions - metabolic and behavioral activitiesof organisms that impact the biotic or abiotic components of the ecosystem
Feeding: Ingestion, assimilation, defecation and excretion Behavior: Movement, activity, migration
Functions may be classified, subjectively, as Services, Disservices (or Neutral)
Disservices:Damage plants of agricultural or ornamental significanceInjure humans and vertebrate animals
Services:Sequester and redistribute minerals
Mineralize organic moleculesAccelerate turnoverRegulate and suppress pests
Alter substrate to provide access to other organismsRedistribute organisms in spaceBiodegrade toxinsReduce soil erosionIncrease agricultural production
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Provide Services Provide Disservices
Management tradeoffs?
Management of Soil Organisms….to enhance services and reduce disservices
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Nematode Sensitivity to Mineral Fertilizer
Concentration (mM-N)
0 0.1 1
Sta
ndar
dize
d C
ount
s
0
50
100
150
200
X
X X X X
c-p 1 c-p 2 c-p 3 c-p 4 c-p 5 X
Ammonium sulfate
0.50.050.02
Nematode guild
Tenuta and Ferris, 2004
Soil Ecosystem – environmental effects on Structure
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Fungi exploit nematodes through:
1. traps and networks that remainattached to the hyphae.
2. spores that detach from hyphae
Feeding and Redistributing Organisms
Some Ecosystem Functions
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0
20
40
60
80
100
0 5 10 20 40 80 160
Nematode Abundance
Bac
teria
l Cel
ls
Positive feedback Overgrazing
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 5 10 20 40 80 160
Nematode Abundance
Bac
teria
l Cel
ls
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 5 10 20 40 80 160
Nematode Abundance
Bac
teria
l Cel
ls
Positive feedback Overgrazing
Distribution of organisms to new resources
bacteria and bacterivore nematodes
0 nematodes
Fu et al. 2005
Behavioral Ecology
5 nematodes 20 nematodes
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Exploiting Ecosystem Services:The N-Mineralization Service of Bacterivore Nematodes
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T0
M0
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Cover cropCover crop
Irrigation
temperature
moisture
activity
Taking it to the field……Soil Ecosystem Management – an experiment
Ferris et al., 2004
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Ferris et al., 2004
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Organic Matter C:N Ratio
N (
µg
/g S
oil
)
+Cephalobus-Cephalobus
Nitrogen mineralization
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
1-A
pr
8-A
pr
15-A
pr
22-A
pr
29-A
pr
6-M
ay
13-M
ay
20-M
ay
27-M
ay
3-Ju
n
10-J
un
17-J
un
24-J
un
1-Ju
l
8-Ju
l
15-J
ul
22-J
ul
29-J
ul
Functional ComplementarityN- mineralization
Mesorhabditis
Cruznema
Rhabditis
Total N
0100200300400500600700800900
1-A
pr
8-A
pr
15-A
pr
22-A
pr
29-A
pr
6-M
ay
13-M
ay
20-M
ay
27-M
ay
3-Ju
n
10-J
un
17-J
un
24-J
un
1-Ju
l
8-Ju
l
15-J
ul
22-J
ul
29-J
ul
Functional ContinuityN-mineralization
Mesorhabditis
Acrobeloides bod
Total N
A diverse functional guild of bacterivores supports….
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Density-dependent predation
80
85
90
95
100
0 0.1 0.2 0.3
Predator:Prey Ratio (Density Class Averages)
So
il S
up
pre
ss
ive
ne
ss
Predator: Prey Ratio
Sánchez-Moreno and Ferris, 2007
Another Ecosystem Service: Regulation of Opportunistic Species
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Generalist and Specialist Predators
Amplifiable PreyTarget Prey
Predators and prey
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Soil Ecosystem Complexity and theRegulation Function
Management practices in industrialized agriculture result in:
Soil ecosystem simplification
Reduction in higher trophic levels
Costa Rica, 2008
We tested nematode predator:prey hypotheses with data from banana plantations in four Central American countries……….
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Ferris, Pocasangre, et al., subm.
2.8 3 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.8 4 4.2 4.4 4.6-3.5
-3
-2.5
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
Ln Amplifiable Prey Abundance
Ln P
reda
tor-
Targ
et P
rey
Ratio
y=-4.97+0.852 x; R2=0.33; p<0.0001
B
Banana Plantations - Panama
The relationships are fuzzybecause…………….
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Organic Matter
Microbial Biomass
Amplifiable Prey
Predator Nematodes
Nematophagous fungi +
Target Prey+
+-
-
+
AB
Plant Roots
Root AssociateNematodes
++
Other Predators
B - +
+
Protozoa +
Other Prey+A
E6
E1
E2
E3
E4
E5
B
Trophic cascades: amplifiable and target prey – the expanded model
-B
+
+
Rhizosphere bacteria
E7
-
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Enhancing Amplifiable Prey
Target Prey:the ring nematode
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Environmental heterogeneity
Zones andGradients:
texturestructuretemperaturewaterO2
CO2
NO3
NH4
minerals
Soil Ecosystem – environmental factors affecting Structure
Separatemetacommunities?
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Predator-prey ConnectanceOrganic Bananas and Cover Crop – Costa Rica
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Winter cover crop – bell beansCalifornia, 2006
No-till soybeans, Brazil, 2006
• Soil fertility• Organic matter• Food web activity• Soil structure
• Fossil fuel reduction • Habitat conservation • Food web activity• Soil structure
Feeding the Amplifiable Prey
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Plant-feedingnematodes
Fungus-feedingnematodes
Bacteria-feedingnematodes
Generalist predatornematodes
Specialist predatornematodes
Protozoa-feedingnematodes
Nematodes at each trophic level
RhabditidaePanagrolaimidae
etc.
¨ Short lifecycle¨ Small/ Mod. body size¨ High fecundity¨ Small eggs¨ Dauer stages¨ Wide amplitude¨ Opportunists¨ Disturbed conditions
AporcelaimidaeNygolaimidae
etc.
¨ Long lifecycle¨ Large body size¨ Low fecundity¨ Large eggs¨ Stress intolerant¨ Narrow amplitude¨ Undisturbed conditions
Enrichment Indicators Structure Indicators
CephalobidaeAphelenchidae,
etc.
¨ Moderate lifecycle¨ Small body size¨ Stress tolerant¨ Feeding adaptations¨ Present in all soils
Basal Fauna
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Ba2
Fu2
Fu2
Ba1
Ba3
Fu3
Ca3
Ba4
Fu4
Ca4
Om4
Ba5
Fu5
Ca5
Om5
Enriched
Structured
Basal
Basalcondition
Structure trajectory
Enr
ichm
ent t
raje
ctor
y
omnivorescarnivoresfungivores
bacterivores
fungivores
bacterivores
fungivores
bacterivores
Nematode Faunal Profiles
• Enrichment index
100 (w1.cp1 + w2.Fu2)
/ (w1.cp1 + w2.cp2 )
• Structure Index = 100 wi.cpi / (wi.cpi + w2.cp2 ) for i = 3-5Ferris et al., 2001
and the Metabolic Footprint
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http://plpnemweb.ucdavis.edu/nemaplex
Emergent Themes in Soil Ecosystem Stewardship:
1. Provide adequate and continuous resource supply to supportdesired functions
2. Preserve favorable conditions for component systems
3. Engineer co-location or range overlap of interacting guilds
4. Assess magnitude of services based on faunal analysis and metabolic footprints of functional components