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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Worms, Nematoda, Scott Lyell Gardner
Worms, Nematoda, Scott Lyell Gardner
Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications
Nematodes are the most speciose phylum of metazoa on earth. Not only do they occur in huge numbers as parasites of all known animal groups, but also they are found in the soils, as parasites of plants, and in large numbers in the most extreme environments, from the Antarctic dry valleys to the benthos of the ocean. They are extremely variable in their morphological characteristics, with each group showing morphological adaptations to the environment that they inhabit. Soil-dwelling forms are extremely small; many marine species have long and complex setae; and parasitic species manifest amazingly great reproductive potential and large …
Biodiversity And Decomposition In Experimental Grassland Ecosystems, Johannes M. H. Knops, David A. Wedin, David Tilman
Biodiversity And Decomposition In Experimental Grassland Ecosystems, Johannes M. H. Knops, David A. Wedin, David Tilman
School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
We examined the impact of biodiversity on litter decomposition in an experiment that manipulated plant species richness. Using biomass originating from the experimental species richness gradient and from a species used as a common substrate, we measured rates of decomposition in litterbags in two locations: in situ in the experiment plots and in an adjacent common garden. This allowed us to separate the effects of litter quality and decomposition location on decomposition. We found that plant species richness had a significant, but minor negative effect on the quality (nitrogen concentration) of the biomass. Neither litter type nor location had a …