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Soil Food Web Interactions and Modeling
| Content Provider | Scilit |
|---|---|
| Copyright Year | 1997 |
| Description | Book Name: Fauna in Soil Ecosystems |
| Abstract | If we are to understand the importance of the soil fauna for soil processes, such as the decomposition of soil organic matter and the mineralization of nutrients, it is essential to examine their functioning from the perspectives of community and systems ecology. Many studies have indicated that the soil fauna may make an important contribution to the ecosystem processes, not only directly through the consumption and processing of material, but indirectly through influence on the dynamics of and amounts of energy processed by their prey (e.g., Coleman et al., 1983; Moore et al., 1988; Verhoef and Brussaard, 1990). The contribution of the fauna to the cycling of energy, matter, and nutrients, therefore, depends not only on their own population sizes, or rates of energy use, but also on their ability to influence the functioning of the organisms with which they interact. These influ ences may occur through a variety of mechanisms. Some faunal groups, such as microarthropods, comminute organic matter by feeding on detritus and by ingest ing microbes and adhering detrital material, resulting in an increase of the surface area of the organic matter available for microbial attack (Swift et al., 1979). The dissemination of microbes is another potentially important influence of soil fauna on decomposition processes. Nematodes and microarthropods can passively transport bacteria, fungi, and protozoa in the gut or on the cuticle across regions of soil that are impenetrable to the microbiota (Coleman, 1985). Also in this way, faunal groups can act as catalysts by bringing primary decomposers into contact with substrate (Behan and Hill, 1978; Macfadyen, 1963). By feeding on microbes, the fauna may affect microbially mediated degradation of the soil organic matter by altering the composition of the microbial community structure through selective grazing (Hanlon and Anderson, 1979; Newell, 1984a, 1984b) or by affecting microbial growth and metabolic activities by altering nutrient availability (Engelmann, 1961; Macfadyen, 1963; Visser, 1985). The predatory fauna may also affect ecosystem processes indirectly by decreasing bacteriafeeding nematode populations and subsequently allowing bacterial populations to increase (Bouwman et al., 1994; Santos and Whitford, 1981; Parker et al., 1984). |
| Related Links | https://content.taylorfrancis.com/books/download?dac=C2010-0-44671-8&isbn=9780429152795&doi=10.1201/9781482273571-11&format=pdf |
| Ending Page | 400 |
| Page Count | 24 |
| Starting Page | 377 |
| DOI | 10.1201/9781482273571-11 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited |
| Publisher Date | 1997-01-02 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Book Name: Fauna in Soil Ecosystems Microbiology Soil Science Decomposition Soil Organic Matter Nematode Coleman Indirectly |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Chapter |
