Community analysis of soil inhabiting nematodes associated with a mango orchard of Meerut, India

Soil nematodes, are important constituents of soil food-webs. Their activities regulate the size and function of fungal and bacterial populations in the soil, plant community composition and rates of carbon and nitrogen turnover. The assemblage of plant and soil nematode species occurring in a natural or a managed ecosystem constitutes the nematode community. These communities can provide important insights regarding many aspects of ecosystem function. Twenty five randomly selected composite samples yielded 34 genera belonging to 8 orders and 21 families. Of the total population, 40% were bacteriovores, 30% herbivores, 18% fungivores, 7% omnivores and 5% predators. Overall Helicotylenchus was the most abundant among all the nematode genera. The trophic diversity index (TDI) ranged from 1.05–1.26 (1.15 ± 0.05), Shanon's Diversity Index (H') varied from 1.98–2.65 (1.81 ± 0.25) and the maturity index (MI) ranged from 1.77–2.71 (2.25 ± 0.24).