Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2010
The influence of vegetation type, soil properties and precipitation on the composition of soil mite and microbial communities at the landscape scale
Nielsen, Uffe N.; Osler, Graham H. R.; Campbell, Colin; Burslem, David F. R.; van der Wal, ReneAbstract
The influence of vegetation type and soil properties differed between groups of soil organisms, albeit in a predictable manner, across the 12 sites. Organisms directly associated with plants (fungi), and organisms with microhabitat and resource preferences (Oribatida) were strongly responsive to changes in habitat type. The response of organisms not directly associated with plants (bacteria, archaea) depended on differences in soil properties, while organisms with less clear microhabitat and resource preferences (Mesostigmata) were not strongly responsive to either vegetation type or soil properties. These results show that it is possible to predict the impact of habitat change on specific soil organisms depending on their ecology. Moreover, the community composition of all groups was related to variation in precipitation within the study area, which shows that external factors, such as those caused by climate change, can have a direct effect on belowground communities.Keywords
Archaea; bacteria; Betula pubescens; birch woodland; community composition; fungi; heather moorland; Mesostigmata; Oribatida; ScotlandPublished in
Journal of Biogeography2010, volume: 37, number: 7, pages: 1317-1328
Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL
Authors' information
Nielsen, Uffe N.
The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute
Osler, Graham H. R.
The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute
Campbell, Colin
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Soil and Environment
Burslem, David F. R.
University of Aberdeen
van der Wal, Rene
Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG13 Climate action
UKÄ Subject classification
Soil Science
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2010.02281.x
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/43643