The effect of geographical latitude of the habitats invaded by Heracleum sosnowskyi on soil nematode communities

Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Petrozavodsk, 185910, Russia

^* Corresponding author: anna_sushchuk@mail.ru

Abstract

The article presents the first data on nematode communities inhabiting the soil under hogweed thickets (Heracleum sosnowskyi Manden.) in Karelia, Leningrad and Moscow districts. Comparison of the parameters of soil nematode communities in four hogweed habitats located on 55° to 61° N allowed describing the effect of geographical latitude of habitats with plant-invader on soil nematodes for the European part of Russia. Parameters of nematode communities were the following: taxonomic diversity, nematode abundance, and the eco-trophic structure. It was revealed that the abundance and diversity of soil nematodes greatly varied in the high latitude locality; and eco-trophic structure of nematode communities differed between regions under study. The relative abundance of omnivores and nematodes associated with plants was higher in the soil under hogweed in Karelia, and bacterial feeders – in the Moscow region. There were established trophic groups of nematodes which had the latitudinal variability that was confirmed by regression analysis. Thus, the results indicated the role of latitude as a factor in shaping the structure of soil nematode communities in the hogweed habitats.