Qualitative and quantitative distributions of actinomycetes were studied in surface and deeper soil horizons of a palm plantation in Algeria. The distributions were influenced directly by certain morphological and pedological factors of horizons, among which, the most important besides depth, were the quantity and quality of organic matter, clay abundance and calcareous content. Determination of 350 isolates showed that the genus Streptomyces was dominant in most of the horizons, with the exception of two of them, where Actinomadura and Nocardioides species were proliferating. However, whereas soil surface horizons contained very diversified species, each deeper horizon was characterized by the dominance of a particular species, often to a considerable extent. In a decreasing order of importance, the following species were found among the dominant: Streptomyces coerulescens in very deep reddish brown clay–silt sandy soils; Actinomadura cremea in light brown and sandy–silt soils; Nocardioides albus and Streptomyces aurantiogriseus in yellow nearly inorganic sandy soils. The influence of the above factors upon species distribution is discussed. Key words: actinomycetes, systematics, ecology. [Journal translation]
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Sabaou et al. (1992) studied this question.