Nematode communities in three types of grassland in the Slovak Republic

Nematode communities were studied and compared in three different types of grassland throughout the Slovak Republic: new meadow (established during last 3 years), permanent meadow and permanent pasture. A total of 85 nematode species from 64 genera were found. The identified nematode species belonged mainly to the orders Tylenchida (31), Dorylaimida (22), and Rhabditida (12). The most abundant species were Helicotylenchus digonicus, Rhabditis spp., Filenchus filiformis and Enchodelus macrodorus in new meadows, H. digonicus and E. macrodorus in permanent meadows and H. digonicus and Aporcelaimellus obtusicaudatus in permanent pastures. Plant parasitic nematodes were dominant in all investigated types of grassland, followed by bacterial feeders in new meadows and omnivores in permanent meadows and pastures. Maturity index (MI) and B/F depended with the age of grassland and thus with succession from newly established meadows to permanent meadows and permanent pastures. Nematode communities were more similar in permanent meadows and pastures than in new meadows and were also influenced by geographic condition.