Nematoda functional ecology analyses
Nematode genera were classified into feeding types based on their known
buccal cavity morphology in available literature according to Wieser
(1953). Each genus was categorized into the four feeding types described
by Weiser: 1A) selective deposit feeder, 1B) non-selective deposit
feeder, 2) epistrate feeder, and 2B) predator/omnivore. In addition, the
maturity index (MI) of each nematode community was calculated to infer
changes in the life history characteristics of nematode genera. MI was
calculated according to Bongers, Alkemade, and Yeates (1991) by
assigning colonizer–persister (cp) values to nematode genera on a scale
from 1 to 5 based in available literature. Low cp-values indicate
nematode genera that can be classified as colonizers (short life cycle,
high reproduction rates, high colonization ability and tolerance to
disturbance) while high cp-values represent persisters (nematode genera
that display long life cycles, few offspring, low colonization ability
and high sensitivity to disturbance). MI could then be calculated from:
\begin{equation}
MI\ =\ \sum_{i=1}^{n}{v\left(i\right)\times f(i)}\nonumber \\
\end{equation}where ν(i) is the cp-value of genus i and f(i) is
the frequency of genus i .