Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
Published on: March 21, 2025
Trophic interactions in soils as they affect energy and nutrient dynamics. III. Biotic interactions of bacteria,
R V Anderson1, E T Elliott, J F McClellan
1Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, 80523, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Abstract:
Bacteria (Pseudomonas), amoebae (Acanthamoeba), and nematodes (Mesodiplogaster) were raised in soil microcosms with and without glucose additions. Nematode and amoebal grazing on bacteria significantly reduced bacterial populations by the end of a 24-day incubation period. Amoebal numbers decreased in the presence of nematodes with a corresponding increase in nematode numbers which reached a maximum of 230 nematodes/g of soil in the treatment with amoebae and glucose additions. After 24 days the nematode populations in the treatments without carbon additions were dominated by resistant dauer larvae indicating the unavailability of food. Although larval numbers were high in the treatments with glucose additions, the adult component of the population was still increasing at the end of the 24-day experiment. The effect of the presence of amoebae on nematode abundance was of the same magnitude as addition of 600Μg glucose-C.
Related Concept Videos
Soil Microbial Ecology
Microbial Interactions: Cooperation
Microbe-Plant Interactions
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Microbial Interactions: Mutualism
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms

