agricultural areas in Pazardzhik region (Gateva, 1961) and Sofia valley .... and the Balkan (Andrássy, 1958) and different agricultural fields Pazardzhik.
Silva Balcanica, 17(1)/2016
SOIL NEMATODES OF FAMILY PLECTIDAE (NEMATODA, PLECTIDA) IN DIFFERENT PLANT COMMUNITIES IN STRANDZHA MOUNTAIN (BULGARIA, TURKEY) Iliyan Iliev1, Zhenya Ilieva2 Faculty of Biology, St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University 2 Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnology and Plant Protection – Sofia 1
Abstract During 2009-2010, 30 different localities in the region of Strandzha Mountain were sampled for terrestrial nematodes. Sampling plots were located in plant communities typical for the region in the Bulgarian and Turkish part of the mountain. In total, 15 species of order Plectida were identified and data on their distribution, morphology and morphometrics are provided, Plectus cancellatus and Ereptonema arcticum being new geographical records. Fifteen species are reported for first time from the region of Strandzha, comprising 62% of all species of the family reported for Bulgaria. Twelve species are recorded in the Turkish part of the mountain and 11 of them are new for the nematode fauna of Turkey. The representatives of family Plectidae were the most abundant group and had the highest species diversity of all soil nematodes in the studied localities (Iliev, 2014). The most frequently encountered species were Anaplectus granulosus, P. acuminatus and P. cirratus. These three species are the most abundant of all plectids identified in the investigated communities. Key words: abundance, Anaplectus, distribution, Ereptonema, morphology, Plectus, Tylocephalus, Wilsonema
INTRODUCTION Strandzha is a low mountain in Southeastern Bulgaria and Northwestern Turkey. The highest peak is Mahiada (1031 m a.s.l.). The Bulgarian part is protected area that includes 33 natural habitats. Strandzha Mountain belongs to the Euxeinos botanicgeographic province. The region was not greatly influenced by Oligocene glaciations and developed a specific flora now distinguished by 63 Tertiary relicts and 55 endemic plants (Gussev, Tzonev, 2014). Data on the nematode fauna of the region are scarce (Katalan-Gateva et al., 1991; Iliev, 1992; Lazarova et al., 1998) and the only study that includes species of Plectidae as a part of the general fauna covers three beech forests (Iliev, Ilieva, 2014). Gadea (1978) studied free-living nematodes of mosses in several habitats in the continental part of Turkey. He reported Plectus cirratus from three locations in Capadokia, Pamukkale and Bursa province. In a more recent study Akyazi et al. (2012, 2014) identified the genera Plectus and Wilsonema in potato crops and hazelnut orchards in the province of Ordu, Northeastern Turkey but no species were reported. To the best our knowledge, no investigations of the family have ever been conducted in the Turkish part of the mountain.
71
The aim of present study is to i) elucidate the composition and distribution of species of family Plectidae in Strandzha Mountain, and ii) provide morphological data about the species recovered. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sampling sites. During 2009-2010, 30 different localities in the region of Strandzha Mountain were sampled for nematodes. The plots were located in plant communities typical for the region in the Bulgarian and Turkish part of the mountain. A description of the sampling sites and periods is presented in Table 1. All habitats are distributed in the four Floristic-climatic zones of Strandzha: І. Coastal zone: the eastern low part of the mountain reaching the Black Sea Coast; ІІ. Rhododendron zone: deciduous forest with edificator Fagus orientalis Lipsky and abundant evergreen Tertiary relicts; ІІІ. High zone: Different oak associations; ІV. Northwestern arid zone: mixed forest with much less precipitation during the year, in comparison to the other zones of the mountain (Gussev, Tzonev, 2014). Sampling, extraction and processing. At most sites representing different habitats five bulk samples were collected for faunistic study; ten bulk samples were collected in seven habitats (2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 15, and 16) nine times for the period of investigation in order to describe population dynamics. Habitat 1 was sampled for population dynamics on the first year but at the beginning of the second year it was excluded due to local floods on the first two collection dates. Each sample consisted of 10 soil corers at 20 cm depth. Nematodes were extracted from 100 g of soil after homogenization using a modified Bearman method with 72 h exposition (Bezooijen, 2006), counted alive and gently fixed at 50oC in 4% formaldehyde. Up to 200 nematodes per sample were mounted on temporary slides for quantitative analysis (Paramonov, 1963). The rest of the specimens were mounted on permanent slides in glycerol (Seinhorst, 1959). The mounted specimens were measured and photographs were taken under DIC microscope Olympus BX60 with digital camera DP70 and specialized software Imaging System cell^B (Olympus). Relative densities were calculated on the basis of recovered mature nematodes and morphometric characters were described only from permanently mounted specimens. Terminology of species morphology is after Holovachov (2006). We used the classification of subfamilies and genera of Plectidae proposed by Holovachov, de Ley (2006). Old synonyms used in earlier records for Bulgaria are given for all species. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION During the study a total of 15 species of family Plectidae were identified from 363 samples collected in Strandzha region – 15 species in the Bulgarian part and 12 in the Turkish part of the mountain.
72
73
I
II
II
4
5
6
I
2
I
I
1
3
Protected area Estuary of Veleka
Longose forest of Caucasian ash (Fraxinus oxycarpa Willd.), black alder (Alnus glutinosa Gartn.) and European white-elm (Ulmus laevis Pall.), undergrowth of wood-rush (Luzula sp.), Festuca sp., sedge (Cyperus sp.), water flag (Iris pseudocorus L.), summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum L.), common nettle (Urtica dioica L.), Polygonum sp., great water dock (Rumex hydrolapathum Huds.), bulrush (Typha latifolia L.), etc. Soil type***: Fluvisols
Bulgaria
Habitat
N 42o3’40” E 27o57’55”
GIS coordinates
15
105
250
Meadows near Veleka river (secondary succession of gardens – 20 years ago). Regularly flooded in late winter to spring with single trees of black alder (A. glutinosa), willow (Salix sp.), Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.), blackberry ( Rubus sp.), Poacea gen. spp., Fabacea gen spp., and N 42°03’23” E common nettle (U. dioica), etc. At the base of the slope meadows are bordered by aged trees: 27°45’51” Strandzha oak (Q. hartwissiana Stev.) and Cerris oak (Q. cerris). Soil type***: Fluvisols
Forest of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) and Oriental durmast (Q. polycarpa Schur.); Protected dense undergrowth of shrubs and herbs: pontic rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum L.), N 42°06’42” E area Marina single shrubs of Pontic daphne (Daphne pontica L.), mouse thorn (Ruscus hypoglossum L.), wood27°45’53” reka-1 rush (Luzula sp.), and perennial eastern sowbread (Cyclamen coum Mill.) Soil type***: well developed, rich and humid Haplic Alisols
Near Kosti village Locality St. Elijah
Coastal open area with a dominant species Ephedra distachya L. and gramineous grasses
N42°18’24” E 27°47’35”
Maslen cape
Near Rezovo village
15
15
5
I, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X
I, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X
VII
II, VIII
I, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X
I, III, IV, V, VI
Altitude Sampling m a.s.l. period**
Longose forest of Caucasian ash (F. oxycarpa) and black alder (A. glutinosa), climbing plants with N 41°59’01” E woody and herbaceous stems: old man’s beard (Clematis vitalba L.), (Smilax excelsa L.), etc. 28°01’41” Soil type***: humid and deep and rich organic Molic Gleyisols
Windy coastal forest of Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto Ten.) and Cerris oak (Quercus cerris L.) Protected with undergrouth of shrubs: butcher’s-broom (Ruscus aculeatus L.), wild asparagus (Asparagus N 42°03’10’’ E area Silistar acutifolius L.), Crimean comfrey (Symphytum tauricum Willd.), and Black Sea mission bell 27°59’13” – Butamjata (Fritillaria pontica Wahlenb.), Caucasian primrose (Primula acaulis spp. rubra (Sm.) Greut.), etc. Soil type***: Leptosols, Rendzik
Locality
N Zone*
Table 1. Description of studied habitats and sampling periods
74
II
II
II
II
II
II
III
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
N Zone*
278
270
255
211
420
Protected Forest of Oriental beech (F. orientalis) with undergrowth of Caucasian whortleberry (Vaccinium N 42o05’48” E Zone Bjalata arctostaphylos L.) and moss (Leucobryum glaucum (Hedw.) Angstr.) 27o39’55” prast Soil type***: Haplic Alisols N 42°06’02” E 27°40’53”
Siliceous rock with pioneer vegetation of green olive trees (Phyllyrea latifolia L.), wild asparagus (Asparagus acutifolius L.), garmineous grasses, Black Sea mission bell (F. pontica), Spanish N 42o06’24” E stonecrop (Sedum hispanicum L.), and etc. 27o50’36” Soil type***: Lithic Leptosols
Mixed forest of Oriental beech (F. оrientalis) and Oriental durmast (Q. polycarpa) undergrowth N 42°00’17” E of Colchis holly (Ilex colchica Poj) 27°39’09 Soil type***: Haplic Alisols
Forest of Oriental beech – F. orientalis with dense undergrowth of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L.), Colchis holly (I. colchica), mouse thorn (Ruscus hypoglossum L.), Pontic daphne N 41°51’40” E (D. pontica), etc. 27°20’21” Soil type***: Chromic Luvisols
Near Kondolovo village
Under Papiya peak
Locality Indipasha
Locality Daskalite
Single trees of Oriental durmast (Q. polycarpa) and Hungarian oak (Q. frainetto) and dense cover of rockrose (Cistus incanus L.) Soil type***: Alisols
230
Silkosiya reserve
II
I
I
II, VII
I, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X
II
I, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X
Altitude Sampling m a.s.l. period**
Forest of Oriental durmast (Q. polycarpa) and Oriental beech (F. orientalis); single shrubs of pontic rhododendron (Rh. ponticum), Pontic daphne (D. рontica) and herbaceous plants: eastern N 42°18’60” E sowbread (C. coum), gramineous grasses, etc. 25°35’14” Soil type***: Luvisols
GIS coordinates
265
Bulgaria
Habitat
Forest of Oriental beech (F. orientalis) and Oriental durmast (Q. polycarpa); undergrowth with Protected single shrubs of pontic rhododendron (Rh. ponticum), medlar (Mespilus germanica L.), Pontic N 42°06’58” E area Marina daphne (D. pontica), blackberry (Rubus sp.), perennial: eastern sowbread (C. coum); and different 27°45’54” reka-2 gramineous grasses. Soil type***: Haplic Alisols
Locality
Table 1. Continued
75
I
I
I
I
19
20
21
IV
16
18
III
15
IV
III
14
17
Locality Shafariica close to Slivarovo village
Shrubs on karst (