Abstract
The movement of bacterial-feeding nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) through sand was investigated using a range of sand sizes, equilibrated at a range of matric potentials, in the presence or absence of an attractant source (Escherichia coli) at the distal end of a column. In the presence of E. coli there was significantly greater movement of the nematode population towards the E. coli population, and the extent of the movement depended on the matric potential of the sand. Over time, an increasing proportion of the C. elegans population responded to the presence of the E. coli. The processes controlling these effects are discussed with respect to taxis and kinesis mechanisms of the nematode population, and with regard to the diffusive characteristics of the physical structure of the sand.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 237-241 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | European Journal of Soil Science |
Volume | 49 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 1998 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Generated from Scopus record by KAUST IRTS on 2023-02-15ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Soil Science