OBJECTIVES

BACKGROUND

As natural areas are managed and converted to pasture to other types of agricultural production, the diversity of nematodes present may be expected to decline. Some plant-feeding species present in low numbers in natural communities may become established in increasing numbers in cultivated sites, where they have the potential to become agricultural pests. Other nematodes in the soil community have an important impact on nutrient cycyling sinece they feed on the regulate the soil microflora. The composition of this portion of the nematode community will also be change by management, and may have potential use as a bioindicator of soil ecosystem healt