Tropical nematode diversity: vertical stratification of nematode communities in a Costa Rican humid lowland rainforest

Comparisons of nematode communities among ecosystems have indicated that, unlike many organisms, nematode communities have less diversity in the tropics than in temperate ecosystems. There are, however, few studies of tropical nematode diversity on which to base conclusions of global patterns of diversity. This study reports an attempt to estimate nematode diversity in the lowland tropical rainforest of La Selva Biological Research Station in Costa Rica. We suggest one reason that previous estimates of tropical nematode diversity were low is because habitats above the mineral soil are seldom sampled. As much as 62% of the overall genetic diversity, measured by an 18S ribosomal barcode, existed in litter and understorey habitats and not in soil. A maximum-likelihood tree of barcodes from 360 individual nematodes indicated most major terrestrial nematode lineages were represented in the samples. Estimated 'species' richness ranged from 464 to 502 within the four 40 × 40 m plots. Directed sampling of insects and their associated nematodes produced a second set of barcodes that were not recovered by habitat sampling, yet may constitute a major class of tropical nematode diversity. While the generation of novel nematode barcodes proved relatively easy, their identity remains obscure due to deficiencies in existing taxonomic databases. Specimens of Criconematina, a monophyletic group of soil-dwelling plant-parasitic nematodes were examined in detail to assess the steps necessary for associating barcodes with nominal species. Our results highlight the difficulties associated with studying poorly understood organisms in an understudied ecosystem using a destructive (i.e. barcode) sampling method.     

Nematode communities indicate diverse soil functioning across a fog gradient in the Namib Desert gravel plains

Soil nematodes are fundamentally aquatic animals, requiring water to move, feed, and reproduce. Nonetheless, they are ubiquitous in desert soils because they can enter an anhydrobiotic state that allows them to persist when water is biologically unavailable. In the hyper‐arid Namib Desert of Namibia, rain is rare, but fog routinely moves inland from the coast and supports plant and animal life. Very little is understood about how this fog may affect soil organisms. We investigated the role of fog moisture in the ecology of free‐living, soil nematodes across an 87‐km fog gradient in the gravel plains of the Namib Desert. We found that nematodes emerged from anhydrobiosis and became active during a fog event, suggesting that they can utilize fog moisture to survive. Nematode abundance did not differ significantly across the fog gradient and was similar under shrubs and in interplant spaces. Interplant soils harbor biological soil crusts that may sustain nematode communities. As fog declined along the gradient, nematode diversity increased in interplant soils. In areas where fog is rare, sporadic rainfall events can stimulate the germination and growth of desert ephemerals that may have a lasting effect on nematode diversity. In a 30‐day incubation experiment, nematode abundance increased when soils were amended with water and organic matter. However, these responses were not evident in field samples, which show no correlations among nematode abundance, location in the fog gradient, and soil organic matter content. Soil nematodes are found throughout the Namib Desert gravel plains under a variety of conditions. Although shown to be moisture‐ and organic matter‐limited and able to use moisture from the fog for activity, variation in fog frequency and soil organic matter across this unique ecosystem may be biologically irrelevant to soil nematodes in situ.     

Ecometagenetics confirm high tropical rainforest nematode diversity

The general patterns of increasing biodiversity from the poles to the equator have been well documented for large terrestrial organisms such as plants and vertebrates but are largely unknown for microbiota. In contrast to macrobiota, microbiota have long been assumed to exhibit cosmopolitan, random distributions and a lack of spatial patterns. To evaluate the assumption, we conducted a survey of nematode diversity within the soil, litter and canopy habitats of the humid lowland tropical rainforest of Costa Rica using an ultrasequencing ecometagenetic approach at a species-equivalent taxonomic level. Our data indicate that both richness and diversity of nematode communities in the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica are high and exceed observed values from temperate ecosystems. The majority of nematode species were unknown to science, providing evidence for the presence of highly endemic (not cosmopolitan) species of still completely undiscovered biodiversity. Most importantly, the greater taxonomic resolution used here allowed us to reveal predictable habitat associations for specific taxa and thus gain insights into their nonrandom distribution patterns.     

农田土壤线虫多样性研究现状及展望

目前土壤生物多样性已成为土壤生态学研究的热点问题之一。土壤生物以不同的方式改变着土壤的物理、化学和生物学特性。在农田生态系统中, 土壤动物是分解作用和养分矿化作用等生态过程的主要调节者。线虫作为土壤中数量最丰富的后生动物, 其生活史和取食类型多样, 在生态系统中发挥着重要作用。本文介绍了农田生态系统中影响线虫多样性的主要因素; 回顾了土壤线虫的物种多样性、营养类群多样性、生活史多样性和功能多样性的研究现状; 并提出了今后农田生态系统线虫多样性研究的重点。建议通过综合土壤线虫的生活史策略和营养类群等信息, 深入了解其生物多样性和土壤生态系统功能, 从而更好地发挥土壤线虫对农田生态系统变化的生物指示作用。     

Soil animal responses to moisture availability are largely scale,not ecosystem dependent: insight from a cross‐site study

Climate change will result in reduced soil water availability in much of the world either due to changes in precipitation or increased temperature and evapotranspiration. How communities of mites and nematodes may respond to changes in moisture availability is not well known, yet these organisms play important roles in decomposition and nutrient cycling processes. We determined how communities of these organisms respond to changes in moisture availability and whether common patterns occur along fine‐scale gradients of soil moisture within four individual ecosystem types (mesic, xeric and arid grasslands and a polar desert) located in the western United States and Antarctica, as well as across a cross‐ecosystem moisture gradient (CEMG) of all four ecosystems considered together. An elevation transect of three sampling plots was monitored within each ecosystem and soil samples were collected from these plots and from existing experimental precipitation manipulations within each ecosystem once in fall of 2009 and three times each in 2010 and 2011. Mites and nematodes were sorted to trophic groups and analyzed to determine community responses to changes in soil moisture availability. We found that while both mites and nematodes increased with available soil moisture across the CEMG, within individual ecosystems, increases in soil moisture resulted in decreases to nematode communities at all but the arid grassland ecosystem; mites showed no responses at any ecosystem. In addition, we found changes in proportional abundances of mite and nematode trophic groups as soil moisture increased within individual ecosystems, which may result in shifts within soil food webs with important consequences for ecosystem functioning. We suggest that communities of soil animals at local scales may respond predictably to changes in moisture availability regardless of ecosystem type but that additional factors, such as climate variability, vegetation composition, and soil properties may influence this relationship over larger scales.     

Sexual Systems and Ecological Correlates in an Azonal Tropical Forests, SW China

Unlike the seriate lowland rain forests in SE Asia, the tropical vegetation of Xishuangbanna (SW China) has developed in habitats with comparatively lower temperatures and precipitation. Consequently, although most of the families and genera of the flora are components of tropical ecosystems, many have reached their distribution limits in latitude. Selection pressures on sexual systems in these environments may be different from that experienced in lowland tropical regions. Here, we examine the sexual systems of 685 species of flowering plants belonging to 109 families and 356 genera based on 42 plots with a total area of 15.4 ha and compare our results with surveys of sexual systems from other tropical ecosystems. Among these species, 60.6 percent were hermaphroditic, 14.3 percent were monoecious, and 25.1 percent were dioecious. The percentage of dioecious sexual system among tree species (26.1%) was similar or higher than that of other tropical tree floras. Monoecy was significantly associated with the tree growth form and was relatively common in seasonal forest vegetation. Sexual systems involving unisexual flowers (dicliny) are particularly well represented in the tropical forests of Xishuangbanna accounting for 39.4 percent of all species surveyed. This pattern may be associated with the prevalence of relatively small inconspicuous flowers in the tropical forests of SE Asia and their correlation with diclinous sexual systems generally.     

线虫耐寒性研究进展

对于分布在温带和寒带的线虫,它们只有战胜冬季寒冷的挑战,才能有利于种群的存在与发展。因此,耐寒性是线虫生物学研究中不可忽视的内容。综述了关于线虫在低温胁迫下的耐寒性测定方法、耐寒对策及耐寒机制等方面的研究进展。线虫的耐寒性和昆虫一样,可通过过冷却点和低温存活率两种指标进行评价,但在具体的实验方法上,线虫耐寒性研究有其不同之处。线虫的耐寒对策和耐寒机制具有多样化。耐寒对策主要有耐冻和避冻,二者能共同渗透于线虫的耐寒过程中。耐寒机制包括特殊发育阶段的形成、低温驯化作用、低分子量抗冻物质的聚集、以及高分子量抗冻蛋白和热休克蛋白的产生,等等。此外,还强调应从多个角度研究线虫的耐寒性,如寒冷敏感型线虫的研究、寄生线虫的耐寒对策研究以及交叉胁迫的研究。     

Structure and diversity of stream invertebrate assemblages: the influence of temperature with altitude and latitude

1. Structure and diversity of the macroinvertebrate fauna were studied in relation to altitude and latitude among three groups of streams from Ecuador (lowland: 100–600 m, Central Valley: 2600–3100 m, páramo: 3500–4000 m), and one group from the temperate lowland region of Denmark. The streams in the four regions were comparable with regard to physical characteristics such as size, current and substratum.
2. In terms of faunal composition the Ecuadorian highland streams bore more resemblance to the Danish lowland streams than the Ecuadorian lowland streams. The greater similarity between the Ecuadorian highland and the Danish streams, however, was due to the large number of insect families in the Ecuadorian lowlands, many of which were not found in the other regions. Of ten physico-chemical parameters measured, maximum stream temperature explained by far the most variability in faunal composition.
3. The number of insect orders and families increased linearly with maximum stream temperature and therefore decreased with altitude and latitude. A compilation of literature data on insect richness and maximum water temperature from streams around the world confirmed this pattern, yielding a common linear relation for both temperate and tropical streams. This pattern may arise due to a direct temperature effect on speciation but is probably also related to geological history and the influence of climatic changes on stream ecosystems. We estimate that small, tropical, lowland streams have, on average, a two- to fourfold higher species richness than temperate lowland streams.     

西双版纳热带雨林与海南热带雨林的比较研究

西双版纳的热带雨林与海南低地热带雨林和热带季雨林有基本一致的植物区系组成,群落中优势科无论在种数百分比还是重要值排名上均较接近,显然属于同样性质的植物区系。在生态特征上,西双版纳热带雨林群落高大,分层不明显,B层为林冠层,散生巨树常见,在生活型谱上以高位芽植物占绝对优势,大、中高位芽植物相对较多,落叶树种比例小;以中叶、纸质,全缘和复叶比例较高为特征,具有最接近海南低地湿润雨林的群落垂直结构和生态外貌,其雨林特点虽不如湿润雨林浓厚,但明显强于海南的热带常绿季雨林和山地雨林,海南常绿季雨林群落高度明显较矮,小叶比例通常较高,革质叶比例亦较高,群落具遥明显的旱生特点,海南的山地雨林群落高度较矮,A层连续,成为林冠,无散生巨树,分层明显,在生活型谱上大高位芽植物比例减少,附生植物丰富,并具有相当比例的地面芽植物;叶级虽以中叶占优势,但通常革质,非全缘和单叶比例较高,明显由于热量不足的影响而带有亚热带森林特色,在物种多样性上,西双版纳热带雨林的乔木物种多样性指数似乎与海南的低地热带雨林相当,低于海南的山地雨林群落,海南的热带雨林群落种类丰富度不同人研究的结果差异较大,如果这些用于比较的数据可靠和具有可比性的话,西双版纳热带雨林的物种多样性要比海南的山地雨林低。     

Ecological and biogeographical studies on the tropical rain forest of south Yunnan,SW China with a special reference to its relation with rain forests of tropical Asia

Abstract. Ecological and biogeographic analyses of the tropical rain forest in south Yunnan were made using data from seventeen sample plots and floristic inventories of about 1000 species of seed plants. The rain forest is shown to be a type of true tropical rain forest because it has almost the same profile, physiognomic characteristics, species richness per unit area, numbers of individuals in each tree species and diameter classes of trees as classic lowland tropical rain forests. As the area is at the northern margin of monsoonal tropics, the rain forest differs from equatorial lowland rain forests in having some deciduous trees in the canopy layer, fewer megaphanaerophytes and epiphytes but more species of lianas as well as more species of microphylls. In its floristic composition, about 80% of total families. 94% of total genera and more than 90% of total species are tropical, of which about 38% of genera and 74% of species are tropical Asian. Furthermore, the rain forest has not only almost the same families and genera, but also the same families rank in the top ten both in species richness and in dominance of stems, as lowland forests in southeast Asia. It is indisputable that the flora of the rain forest is part of the tropical Asian flora. However, most of the tropical families and genera have their northern limits in south Yunnan and most have their centre of species diversity in Malesia. More strictly tropical families and genera have relatively lower species richness and importance compared with lowland rain forests in tropical southeast Asia. Thus, the flora also shows characteristics of being at the margin of the tropics. Based mainly on physiognomy and floristic composition the tropical rain forest of Yunnan is classified into two types, i.e. seasonal rain forest and wet seasonal rain forest, the latter is further divided into two subtypes, i.e. mixed rain forest and dipterocarp rain forest. From analysis of geographic elements it is also shown that the tropical rain forest of Yunnan occurs at a geographical nexus with its flora coming mainly from four sources, i.e. Malesia, south Himalayas, Indochina and China.     

Influence of ecological and edaphic factors on biodiversity of soil nematodes

Nematodes are the most diverse and highly significant group of soil-inhabiting microorganisms that play a vital role in organic material decomposition and nutrient recycling.Diverse geographical locations and environmental gradients show a significant impact on the diversity of nematodes. Present study aims to assess the effects of ecological (altitude, temperature, moisture) and edaphic (soil pH, nutrients, soil patches) factors on the soil nematode diversity and structure at five different landscape patches (forests, apple orchards, rice fields, pastures, and alpine zone) from ten different sites of Kashmir valley (India). Differences in the altitudinal gradients results in the shift of generic nematode population. Among the soil patches, highest nematode diversity was observed in forest soil and least in alpine soil; however, bacteriovorous nematodes dominated all the soil patches. The temperature and moisture have a significant effect on nematode diversity, the highest nematode trophic levels were observed above 21°C temperature, and 30% moisture. Nematode abundance decreased from alkaline to acidic pH of the soil. Soil nutrients such as, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) have shown a detrimental effect in nematode richness at each site, where nematode diversity and richness of genera were higher at abundant soil N and P but decreased at low soil nutrients. Ecological indices like diversity index (DI), Shannon-Wiener Index (H'), enrichment index (EI), and maturity Index (MI) values demonstrated forest soil more favourable for nematodes and high soil health status than other soil patches. This study suggested that these indices may be helpful as soil monitoring tools and assessing ecosystem sustainability and biodiversity.     

Soil nematode biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems

A review of the literature on nematode diversity (=number of species identified) of soil inhabiting nematodes was undertaken and analysed with regard to distance from the equator, vegetation type and sampling effort. After applying a correction factor for sampling effort the results indicated that species richness was greatest in temperate broadleaf forest (61.7 species per sample) followed by cultivated soil, grassland, tropical rainforest, temperate coniferous forests and polar vegetation. The maintenance of high biodiversity in cultivated soils is unexpected but may reflect the impact of dominance in calculating many indices. Species richness was greatest between latitudes 30–40° (93.9 species per sample) and least above 70°, the mean richness near the equator (i.e. 0–10°) was 80.6 species per sample. While these data would suggest that nematode diversity is not necessarily greatest at the equator, and evidence to support a 'humped back' theory of species richness is not conclusive, they contradict the suggestion that nematode diversity increases with increased latitude.     

Soil microorganisms control plant ectoparasitic nematodes in natural coastal foredunes

Belowground herbivores can exert important controls on the composition of natural plant communities. Until now, relatively few studies have investigated which factors may control the abundance of belowground herbivores. In Dutch coastal foredunes, the root-feeding nematode Tylenchorhynchus ventralis is capable of reducing the performance of the dominant grass Ammophila arenaria (Marram grass). However, field surveys show that populations of this nematode usually are controlled to nondamaging densities, but the control mechanism is unknown. In the present study, we first established that T. ventralis populations are top-down controlled by soil biota. Then, selective removal of soil fauna suggested that soil microorganisms play an important role in controlling T. ventralis. This result was confirmed by an experiment where selective inoculation of microarthropods, nematodes and microbes together with T. ventralis into sterilized dune soil resulted in nematode control when microbes were present. Adding nematodes had some effect, whereas microarthropods did not have a significant effect on T. ventralis. Our results have important implications for the appreciation of herbivore controls in natural soils. Soil food web models assume that herbivorous nematodes are controlled by predaceous invertebrates, whereas many biological control studies focus on managing nematode abundance by soil microorganisms. We propose that soil microorganisms play a more important role than do carnivorous soil invertebrates in the top-down control of herbivorous ectoparasitic nematodes in natural ecosystems. This is opposite to many studies on factors controlling root-feeding insects, which are supposed to be controlled by carnivorous invertebrates, parasitoids, or entomopathogenic nematodes. Our conclusion is that the ectoparasitic nematode T. ventralis is potentially able to limit productivity of the dune grass A. arenaria but that soil organisms, mostly microorganisms, usually prevent the development of growth-reducing population densities.     

Effects of Mixed Cropping on a Soil Nematode Community in Honduras

Nematode-resistant tropical legumes are effective in reducing populations of plant-parasitic nematodes when used in rotation systems. Mixed cropping is a common practice of many small farmers in Central America, but little is known about the effects of tropical legumes on nematode communities under these systems. To examine the effects of intercropping on the nematode fauna associated with squash (Cucurbita pepo) and cucumber (Cucumis sativa) in Honduras, two field experiments were conducted to compare nematode density and diversity in soil under cucurbits grown as a monocrop with that in soil under cucurbits intercropped with alfalfa (Medicago sativa) or hairy indigo (Indigofera hirsuta). A parallel series of field tests compared soil nematode communities associated with a cucurbit monocrop and a cucurbit intercropped with marigold (Tagetes patula), which may decrease nematode populations through the production of toxic root exudates. Among all four tests, over a period of 90 days, there were no consistent differences in densities of various nematode genera or trophic groups in intercropped versus monocropped plants, nor were there consistent differences in community diversities among treatments.     

Ecology and Biogeography of Free-Living Nematodes Associated with Chemosynthetic Environments in the Deep Sea: A Review

Background

Here, insight is provided into the present knowledge on free-living nematodes associated with chemosynthetic environments in the deep sea. It was investigated if the same trends of high standing stock, low diversity, and the dominance of a specialized fauna, as observed for macro-invertebrates, are also present in the nematodes in both vents and seeps.

Methodology

This review is based on existing literature, in combination with integrated analysis of datasets, obtained through the Census of Marine Life program on Biogeography of Deep-Water Chemosynthetic Ecosystems (ChEss).

Findings

Nematodes are often thriving in the sulphidic sediments of deep cold seeps, with standing stock values ocassionaly exceeding largely the numbers at background sites. Vents seem not characterized by elevated densities. Both chemosynthetic driven ecosystems are showing low nematode diversity, and high dominance of single species. Genera richness seems inversely correlated to vent and seep fluid emissions, associated with distinct habitat types. Deep-sea cold seeps and hydrothermal vents are, however, highly dissimilar in terms of community composition and dominant taxa. There is no unique affinity of particular nematode taxa with seeps or vents.

Conclusions

It seems that shallow water relatives, rather than typical deep-sea taxa, have successfully colonized the reduced sediments of seeps at large water depth. For vents, the taxonomic similarity with adjacent regular sediments is much higher, supporting rather the importance of local adaptation, than that of long distance distribution. Likely the ephemeral nature of vents, its long distance offshore and the absence of pelagic transport mechanisms, have prevented so far the establishment of a successful and typical vent nematode fauna. Some future perspectives in meiofauna research are provided in order to get a more integrated picture of vent and seep biological processes, including all components of the marine ecosystem.     

Distribution and diversity of soil protozoa in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica

The polar desert soils of the McMurdo Dry Valley region support a limited water film community dominated by flagellates, amoebae, and nematodes. This study describes the protozoa and compares their distribution to nematodes. In 50 samples collected from 12 locations, rotifers and tardigrades were infrequent, and ciliates and testacea were rare. Soil protozoa occurred at all sites but the dominant nematode, Scottnema lindsayae (Timm 1971), did not, indicating soil habitat factors limiting nematode distribution are not limiting to protozoa. In contrast to the nematode species, which are all endemic to Antarctica, there were no endemic protozoan morphospecies found in our samples. The protozoan abundance was several orders of magnitude greater than that of the nematodes, and the species diversity was much greater. Most of the protozoa grew better at lower incubation temperatures. The ubiquitous distribution of protozoa suggests their importance in soil food webs and nutrient cycling in the dry valleys.     

Soil Nematodes in Terrestrial Ecosystems

There has been much work on plant-feeding nematodes, and less on other soil nematodes, their distribution, abundance, intrinsic properties, and interactions with biotic and abiotic factors. Seasonal variation in nematode fauna as a whole is correlated with factors such as moisture, temperature, and plant growth; at each site nematode distribution generally reflects root distribution. There is a positive correlation between average nematode abundance and primary production as controlled by moisture, temperature, nutrients, etc. Soil nematodes, whether bacterial feeders, fungivores, plant feeders, omnivores, or predators, all influence the populations of the organisms they feed on. Although soil trematodes probably contribute less than 1% to soil respiration they may play an important role in nutrient cycling in the soil through their influence on bacterial growth and plant nutrient availability.     

Characteristics of soil nematode community along an age sequence of sandy desert soil cultivation in a marginal oasis of middle reaches of Heihe River

This paper studied the characteristics of soil nematode community following the conversion of native sandy desert soil to irrigated farmland in a marginal oasis of the middle reaches of Heihe River basin, aimed to approach the bioindicating function of soil nematodes in soil evolution process. A total of 27921 soil nematode individuals were captured, belonging to 25 families and 34 genera. The total number of nematodes increased gradually with increasing age of cultivation. At all sampling sites, bacterivores and plant parasites were the dominant trophic groups, and made up the main parts of nematode community in oasis farmland. Through the analysis of the evenness index (J) and dominance index (lambda) of nematode community, the ecosystems were found to be fragile for the farmlands having cultivated for 0, 10, and > 50 years. The maturity index MI2-5 and MMI decreased with increasing cultivation age, suggesting that the practice of agricultural use enhanced the disturbance on farmland. The soil properties changed significantly after 10 years of cultivation, which was at a significant change stage for the structure stability of soil ecosystems. The characteristics of soil nematode community could be used as the bioindicator of soil evolution following the conversion of native desert soil to irrigated farmland.     

Characteristics of soil fauna community in the Dongjiao coconut plantation ecosystem in Hainan, China

From July 2002 to July 2004, we investigated the soil fauna in the Dongjiao coconut plantation of Hainan Island. A total of 5,378 specimens were obtained. These species represented 4 phyla, 12 classes and 27 genera. The soil animal clusters are as follows: All major animal groups presented in a tropical rain forest are present in Dongjiao coconut plantation's soil community. The Dongjiao coconut plantation demonstrated the typical characteristics of a tropical soil animal community. The number of species and the diversity index (H) increase from the high latitude areas toward the equator; The dominance index (C) decreased from the high latitude areas toward the equator; the ratio of Acarina/Collembola and the percentage occurrence of increase along the declination of latitude; the occurrence of termites, a typical member of tropical community, varies from absent to present and a dramatic increase along the declination of latitude. Compared to primary tropical rainforests, the Dongjian coconut plantation community is relatively low in species diversity, and has a high dominance index and low diversity index. This may partially due to some characters of the plantation: singular tree species, monsoon climate, seashore location, high pH and salinity of the soil, soil moisture and other environmental factors. A seasonal change occurs in the community structure but is not obvious. Soil around human residences has a higher organic material content, and has higher counts of specimens and numbers of species, compared to other three sampling sites. Coconut production at locations around human residences is higher than at any other microhabitats. The high production is positively correlated with the richness of animal community in the soil.     

Characteristics of soil fauna community in the Dongjiao coconut plantation ecosystem in Hainan, China

From July 2002 to July 2004, we investigated the soil fauna in the Dongjiao coconut plantation of Hainan Island. A total of 5,378 specimens were obtained. These species represented 4 phyla, 12 classes and 27 genera. The soil animal clusters are as follows: All major animal groups presented in a tropical rain forest are present in Dongjiao coconut plantation's soil community. The Dongjiao coconut plantation demonstrated the typical characteristics of a tropical soil animal community. The number of species and the diversity index (H) increase from the high latitude areas toward the equator; The dominance index (C) decreased from the high latitude areas toward the equator; the ratio of Acarina/Collembola and the percentage occurrence of increase along the declination of latitude; the occurrence of termites, a typical member of tropical community, varies from absent to present and a dramatic increase along the declination of latitude. Compared to primary tropical rainforests, the Dongjian coconut plantation community is relatively low in species diversity, and has a high dominance index and low diversity index. This may partially due to some characters of the plantation: singular tree species, monsoon climate, seashore location, high pH and salinity of the soil, soil moisture and other environmental factors. A seasonal change occurs in the community structure but is not obvious. Soil around human residences has a higher organic material content, and has higher counts of specimens and numbers of species, compared to other three sampling sites. Coconut production at locations around human residences is higher than at any other microhabitats. The high production is positively correlated with the richness of animal community in the soil.