Research Explorer

Project

Quantifying the contributions of the entire free-living soil nematode and protozoa communities to nitrogen mineralization and plant growth.
Code
01CD2421
Duration
01 July 2021 → 30 November 2021
Funding
Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund
Research disciplines
  • Natural sciences
    • Soil ecology
    • Soil biology
  • Agricultural and food sciences
    • Agricultural plant production not elsewhere classified
Keywords
soil protozoa soil nematodes N mineralization microbial loop hypothesis selective sterilization reinoculation
 
Project description
 

Protists and nematodes are estimated to contribute 25% of soil N mineralization, but such estimates have never been verified in realistic experimental settings. This project aims to quantify the role of protists and nematodes in soil nutrient cycling and plant growth at increasing complexity: from a few representative species to the entire community, and from simple to complex food webs.