title: Effect of mine tailing on the spatial variability of soil nematodes from lead pollution in La Union (Spain).
abstract: The Cartagena-La Union mining district, exploited since the end of the 3rd century BC, was one of the world's largest lead producers in the 19th century. Although activity ceased in 1991, today mining residues pose a huge pollution problem. This study characterises lead contents (total and DPTA) and other soil parameters (N, P, K, pH, SOM, CaCO3, granulometric fraction, etc.) using multivariate geostatistical methods in relation to nematode diversity. In this work, trophic groups and metabolic footprints of soil nematodes were measured using 193 samples from the mining, natural and agricultural areas in this district. We explored the relationship between soil health and nematode communities. High lead concentrations were quantified: mean 8,500 mg kg(-1) for total and 340 mg kg(-1) for DPTA in this mining area. Although nematode diversity was broad (81 taxa), their diversity, abundance and metabolic footprints significantly reduced in the mining area. Significant differences in the nematode community structure were observed, and the relative abundance of predators was sensitive to mine and agricultural activities, whilst omnivores reduced only in the agricultural area, and bacterial feeders exhibited a differential response to both anthropogenic disturbances. The total abundance of nematodes, trophic groups and c-p groups correlated negatively with soil Pb contents, and a positive relationship was found with SOM and N, P and K contents.
authors.affiliation: Depto. Medio Ambiente, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (I.N.I.A), Carretera de A Coruña 7.5km, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: rmartin@inia.es.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Martín
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, ICA-CSIC, Serrano, 115, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, ICA-CSIC, Serrano, 115, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Escuer
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, ICA-CSIC, Serrano, 115, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ma Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: García-González
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, ICA-CSIC, Serrano, 115, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campos-Herrera
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, ICA-CSIC, Serrano, 115, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aguila
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D008906:Mining; D009348:Nematoda / Q000502:physiology; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D007854:Lead
keywords: Heavy metal pollution; Metabolic footprints; Mine tailing; Multivariate geostatistics; Nematode trophic groups