Nematode diversity and community structure from high-altitude district Leh (Ladakh), India

Leh is a high-altitude district in the union territory of Ladakh. It is situated on the Indus river’s bank and the high elevation of the mountains predominates the surrounding area. Very little information is available about the nematode fauna of these regions. Hence, a survey was conducted and soil samples were collected from agricultural fields of different localities of district Leh (Ladakh) to understand the diversity of soil and plant nematode fauna, to ascertain its current status and to study nematode communities. A total of 27 nematode genera were encountered during the present study. Among them, eleven belong to herbivores, six to bacterivores, four to predaceous, and three each belong to the fungivores and omnivores group. Helicotylenchus sp. was the most prevalent and dominating species in the overall nematode community. The herbivores trophic group was the most prevalent, whereas the bacterivores trophic group was more abundant and prominent in the population. This study showed that a significant variety of nematode fauna remains undiscovered, and it is vital to investigate the variety of beneficial and harmful nematodes in this area.