The Ecological Importance of Free-Living Soil Nematodes with Special Reference to Those of Moorland Soil

Abstract

Nematodes from a British Pennine moorland were found to belong to the following feeding groups, in a decreasing order of abundance: plant, microbial, miscellaneous and predatory feeders. While their percentages varied on different sites, this order of abundance was the same on all soils studied. On Juncus squarrosus moor there were 1.9-3.1 x 106 nematodes per m2 with biomasses of 0.48-0.75 g/m2 fresh weight and estimated to account for about 0.6% of the total soil respiration. It was concluded that, because of their numerical abundance, the role of nematodes in the soil has probably been overestimated in the past.