Zusammenfassung
Nematodes are the most abundant metazoa. Their food specificity, the
high number of species and high abundance in every habitat where
decomposition takes place indicates that the structure of the nematode
community has a high information content. Since nematodes respond
rapidly to new resources, and the nematode fauna can be efficiently
analyzed, the structure of the nematode community offers an instrument
to assess (changes in) the conditions of soils. A functional grouping
of nematodes is generally synonymous with allocation into feeding
groups. However, soil quality assessment indices based on the presence
of all feeding groups still provide insufficient information regarding
the functioning of soil ecosystems and their threats. An alternative
concept of functional groups is based on the life history of nematodes.
In this paper we present the most recent colonizer-persister allocation
and the application of this scaling in the Maturity Index, cp-triangles,
MI(2-5) and PPI/ MI-ratio. We propose to integrate the life strategy
approach and trophic group classification to obtain a better understanding
of nematode biodiversity and soil functioning. Attention is given
to competitive exclusion and coexistence and we summarize present
concepts regarding succession and degradation.
Nutzer