Nematodes of the Sandhills

mo t ab ndant an mals in th Ne raska Sa dhills ar al o on of th mo t se dom se n. Ne atodes ar mi roscopic ro ndworms fo nd in ev ry Sa dhills ha itat, fr m th so ls, st eams, la es, an ri ers to th in erior ca ities of pl nts an an mals. Th y ar aq atic a imals, m ving t rough t e w ter-fi l ed s aces a ong s l pa ticles. Th ir si e, ge erally ar und 1m in l ngth a d 5 m crons i w dth, a lows t em t n vigate t ough so l po es wi hout di rupting so l st ucture. A a dful of so l ma co tain th usands of ne atodes a d 4 t 5 d fferent s ecies.Nem atodes ar re owned fo th ir ab lity to wi hstand ex reme ha itats. In th ho sp ings of Ye lowstone Na tio nal Pa k th y ar fo nd ea ing th rmophilic ba teria. Th y ca be th wed fr m th fr zen so ls of An arctica’s Dr Va leys, of en co sidered th ha shest cl mate on ea th. In Ne raska, ne atodes ca li e in th al aline la es of th we tern Sa dhills, in se iments wi h pH le els ex eeding 10 0. Th sa dy co position of Sa d-hills du es re uires th t wa er-loving ne atodes co e wi h po entially le hal ex remes of dr ing. Th y re y on th wa er in so l po es fo mo ement, re piration, an th ab lity to se se th ir en ironment. Ne atodes ar to sm ll to mo e to gr ater de ths as so ls dr ou . In tead, th y re lace th wa er in th ir ce ls wi h su ars an an ioxidants th t al ow th m to s vive ex reme de iccation i a t te of su pended mation fo ye rs. Th s sa e ph siological pr cess al o en bles ne atodes to su vive in fr zen so ls wi hout ce l da age. Thdi ferent sp cies of ne atodes pl y ma y ro es in th Sa dhills. Mo t pr minent ar th mi robial fe ders, t at g aze o m crobes a d m crofl o a. B cterial f eders h e fu nel-like mo thparts an a u cular ph rynx e uipped w th a p lsating b lb t at c reates s ffi c ent s tion po er to va uum up ba teria. Fu gal fe ding n matodes u e a fi n , h podermal n edle-like m difi c -tio n of th ir mo thparts to pi rce fu gal my elia to su k ou ce lular co tents. Ne atodes ha e al ays be n Sa dhills re idents an pr bably th ived in th tu dra du ing th tw mi lion ye rs of Ic Ag s th t pr ceded th Sa dhills’ fo mation. Th y li ely we e a ong t e fi r t m croinvertebrate c lonizers o t Sa dhills, di tributed by wi ds. On th ory of ne atode di tribution is th “B ffalo wa lows” th ory pr posed by Ge ald Th rne, wh su gested th t bi on wo ld dr p mu an ne atodes al ng th ir mi ration ro te af er vi iting a e wa low si e. Un erlying th du e sy tems an th ir ne atode co munities ar th Sa dhill fe s th t in lude pl nts co sidered to be gl cial re icts. Th se pl nt co muni-tie s li ely ha e re ict ne atodes, wh se ch racterization co ld pr vide a i dow in o Ic Ag so l fa na. Th