Scottnema lindsayae		Contents		Rev 02/19/2023
		Classification		Biology and Ecology
		Morphology and Anatomy		Life Cycle
Return to Scottnema Menu				Ecosystem Functions and Services
		Distribution		Management
Return to Cephalobidae Menu		Feeding		References
		Go to Nemaplex Main Menu		Go to Dictionary of Terminology

Classification:

Chromadorea

  Rhabditia

     Rhabditida

        Tylenchina

        Cephaloboidea

            Cephalobidae           

 

                     Scottnema lindsayae  Timm, 1971

Back to Top

Morphology and Anatomy:

Scottnema lindsayae From Brostrom et al., 2011.   From Bostrom et al., 2011 : A: Male tail; B: Female tail; C:Anterior, surface view; D:Pharyngeal region; E: Monodelphic, prodelphic female genitalia, including spermatheca.

Face view and lateral view of lip region and probolae Photographs by Brostrom et al., 2011

Back to Top

Distribution:

Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Ross Island of Antarctica. Considered endemic to the Dry Valleys.

Scottnema lindsayae, has a wide distribution, occurring in dry volcanic and stony soils, mossy soils, algal mats, and in small runoff streams and lakes of other nearby Dry Valleys .  Freckman and Virginia (1990) determined S. lindsayae to be the dominant nematode species, representing approximately 80% of the soil nematode community (based on >250 soil samples across nine Dry Valleys). The nematode occurs at relatively low densities (mean = 358 kg-1 dry soil) probably comensurate with resource availability and thermal limitations of population growth rates.

Back to Top

Feeding:

 Scottnema lindsayae is a microbivorous nematode feeding on bacteria, yeast and algal cells.

Back to Top

Biology and Ecology:

Scotnema lindsayae inhabits the Antarctic dry valleys.  Males and females are present and the nematode reproduces sexually.

 Scottnema lindsayae survives in a wide range of terrestrial habitats in the Antarctic. It has been found in several types of habitats: sand or mineral soils with mixed fractions of sand, gravel and stones; moss; green algal mats (e.g. Prasiola); and lake bottom detritus. In Victoria Land it occurs most commonly in dry, bare and sandy or rocky soils . Less frequently it occurs in moister habitats including snow covered soil; near streams, in lake sediments and, mosses (Adams et al., 2014).

In studies at 10C and 15C, the higher temperature had a negative effect on ife cycle parameters. The number of eggs per female and the number of juveniles developing per female were greater at 10C than at 15C. Juveniles developed faster at 10C.

The life cycle is unusually long for a cepahlobbid nematode (218 d at 10C), suggesting that more than one austral summer may be required for successful completion.

The authors concluded that an increase in Dry Valley soil temperatures associated with global environmental change may have detrimental effects on antarctic soil nematodes (Overhoff et al., 1993).

Back to Top

Life Cycle:

Four juvenile stages were observed outside of the egg at both 10C and 15C, so life stages include eggs, four juvenile stages and adult females and males (Overhoff et al., 1993.).

Ecophysiological Parameters:

Back to Top

Ecosystem Functions and Services:

Ecological significance in carbon sequestration and mitigation of climate change.  Subject of extensive ecological studies by Dr. Diana Wall and colleagues, Colorado State University.

Back to Top

Management:

Back to Top

References:

Back to Top

Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris..
Revised: February 19, 2023.