Effects of Long-Term Thinning on Soil Nematode Communities in Pinus taiwanensis Plantations.

Authors

Ruohan Wang, Weiya Xue, Hui Zhou, Fanglong Su, Cancan Zhao, Renhui Miao, Lei Su

Published in

Ecology and evolution. Volume 16. Issue 8. Pages e74159. Epub Aug 07, 2026.

Abstract

Thinning, as a critical forest management practice, has multidimensional impacts on forest ecosystem environments. Soil nematode communities, which serve as sensitive bioindicators of ecosystem health, can effectively reflect the effects of different thinning intensities on forest ecosystems. Based on a long-term thinning experiment with varying intensities in a Pinus taiwanensis plantation, this study examines how thinning influences the structure and function of soil nematode communities. The results showed that the total abundance of soil nematodes changed significantly across varying intensities of thinning (p < 0.05). Different trophic groups exhibited distinct responses: bacterivorous nematodes achieved the highest relative abundance under light thinning (10% removal), plant-parasitic nematodes showed no significant change in relative abundance, while fungivorous and omnivorous-predatory nematodes were significantly enriched under moderate thinning (20% removal). The synergistic changes in the latter two groups reflected trophic cascading effects. Moderate thinning significantly enhanced nematode diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener index, evenness index), increased the proportion of K-strategists, and strengthened the bacterial decomposition channel. These changes are attributed to moderate thinning better optimizing soil nutrient regimes and alleviating competitive exclusion through more rational allocation of food resources. Therefore, moderate thinning helps improve the structure of soil nematode communities and increases the complexity of belowground food webs. These changes further indicate improved ecosystem stability and support the healthy development of belowground ecosystems.

PMID:
42569039
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 08 Aug 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.