According to the first global analysis of nematodes published in Nature, there are about 57 billion nematodes for every human being on Earth.
About:
What are they? Nematodes are roundworms and their size can vary from a tiny 0.2 millimetre to a few metres.
Significance: These nematodes play a crucial role in the environment as they are responsible for production of about 19% of ammonia of the soil. They are also important bioindicators of soil ecosystem health.
Recent study: In the first global analysis of nematodes, a team of over 50 researchers collected over 6,500 soil samples from all seven continents of the world. The study was done only on the top 15 cm of soil.
Key findings:
There are about 57 billion nematodes for every human being on Earth.
Their total biomass comes to around 300 million tonnes which is about 80% of the combined weight of Earth’s humans.
These nematodes are responsible for 2.2% of the total carbon emission from soils.
At 38% of the total, sub-Arctic regions have the highest abundance of nematodes. The temperate region has the next highest abundance followed by the tropical regions.
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