Seasonal fluctuations attenuate stimulatory or inhibitory impacts of colonial birds on abundance, structure and diversity of soil biota.

ABSTRACT: Soil microorganisms and free-living nematodes were investigated in association with the nesting and roosting habitats of the following piscivorous and omnivorous colonial birds: black kite (Milvus migrans), great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) and little egret (Egretta garzetta), in Israel's Mediterranean region. Abiotic variables, abundance, trophic structure, sex ratio and genus diversity of soil free-living nematodes, and total abundance of bacteria and fungi, were measured during the wet season, following our previous study conducted during the dry season. The observed soil properties were important drivers of soil biota structure. Presence of the most efficient elements for soil organisms, such as phosphor

SUBMITTER: Pen-Mouratov S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10191211 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature