title: Plant Roots Increase Bacterivorous Nematode Dispersion through Nonuniform Glass-bead Media.
abstract: Dispersion of bacterivorous nematodes in soil is a crucial ecological process that permits settlement and exploitation of new bacterial-rich patches. Although plant roots, by modifying soil structure, are likely to influence this process, they have so far been neglected. In this study, using an original three-compartment microcosm experimental design and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bars to mimic plant roots, we tested the ability of roots to improve the dispersion of bacterivorous nematode populations through two wet, nonuniform granular (glass bead) media imitating contrasting soil textures. We showed that artificial roots increased migration time of bacterivorous nematode populations in the small-bead medium, suggesting that plant roots may play an important role in nematode dispersion in fine-textured soils or when soil compaction is high.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR Eco&Sols, Laboratoire des RadioIsotopes (LRI), Ampandrianomby, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trap
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR Eco&Sols, Laboratoire des RadioIsotopes (LRI), Ampandrianomby, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR Eco&Sols, 2 Place Viala, 34060, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brauman
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR Eco&Sols, 2 Place Viala, 34060, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Anne-Laure
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pablo
authors.affiliation: Institut National de Recherche Agronomique-UMR Eco&Sols, 2 Place Viala, 34060, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Plassard
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR Eco&Sols, Laboratoire des RadioIsotopes (LRI), Ampandrianomby, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.
authors.forename: Mahafaka Patricia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ranoarisoa
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR Eco&Sols, Laboratoire des RadioIsotopes (LRI), Ampandrianomby, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blanchart
keywords: colonization time; dispersion; ecology; glass-bead media; migration time; plant roots