Roles of Nematodes in Ecosystems: Their Biology and Ecology

TY - CHAP

T1 - Roles of Nematodes in Ecosystems: Their Biology and Ecology

AU - Ferris, Howard

AU - van der Putten, W.H.

AU - Yeates, G.W.

AU - Moens, T.

N1 - Data archiving: no NIOO data

PY - 2025/12/22

Y1 - 2025/12/22

N2 - The organisms of soil and aquatic food webs perform ecological functions and services that are essential for life on Earth. Nematodes, the most abundant multicellular animals on the planet, are prevalent in terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems. Humans have likely been aware of the indicator characteristics of nematodes since before recorded history, first as human and animal parasites by their presence in faeces, skin lesions and sputum, and progressively, with improvements in microscopy, as free-living soil and aquatic forms. The abundance and diversity of nematodes with different feeding habits and ecological functions in soil systems, for example, indicate resource availability and the favourability of environmental conditions. Because of their diversity and ubiquity, nematodes are convenient indicators of similar functions performed by other organisms in their environment. In this chapter we provide insights into the biological and ecological properties of nematodes that underlie their usefulness as environmental indicators.

AB - The organisms of soil and aquatic food webs perform ecological functions and services that are essential for life on Earth. Nematodes, the most abundant multicellular animals on the planet, are prevalent in terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems. Humans have likely been aware of the indicator characteristics of nematodes since before recorded history, first as human and animal parasites by their presence in faeces, skin lesions and sputum, and progressively, with improvements in microscopy, as free-living soil and aquatic forms. The abundance and diversity of nematodes with different feeding habits and ecological functions in soil systems, for example, indicate resource availability and the favourability of environmental conditions. Because of their diversity and ubiquity, nematodes are convenient indicators of similar functions performed by other organisms in their environment. In this chapter we provide insights into the biological and ecological properties of nematodes that underlie their usefulness as environmental indicators.

U2 - 10.1079/9781800624221.0001

DO - 10.1079/9781800624221.0001

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9781800624207

SP - 1

EP - 36

BT - Nematodes as Environmental Indicators

A2 - Kakouli-Duarte, Thomais

A2 - Korthals, Gerard

A2 - Sánchez-Moreno, Sara

A2 - du Preez, Gerhard

A2 - de Goede, Ron G. M.

PB - CABI Publisher

CY - Croydon

ER -