Response of soil nematode community structure, diversity, and ecological network to elevation gradients in wild fruit forest of Tianshan Mountain, China.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Tianshan wild fruit forest is a special deciduous broad-leaved forest located in the mountains of central Asia.

Methods

To reveal how the Tianshan wild fruit forest ecosystem responds to environmental changes along an elevation gradient, we used the soil nematode index, which is widely recognized as a key indicator of soil health. This study focused on the nematode communities beneath Juglans cathayensis and Malus sieversii, two typical constructive species in the Tianshan wild fruit forest. Six elevation levels (1,480, 1,401, 1,351, 1,305, 1,252, and 1,207 m) were selected, and a nematode co-occurrence network was constructed for each elevation. We analyzed the abundance, diversity, ecological indices, and network complexity of soil nematode com

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12495954 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature