Ecology of Freshwater Nematodes

Nematodes are the most numerous and diverse metazoans in freshwater habitats, playing essential functional roles. This book provides guidelines for studying their ecology and promotes them as model organisms for research in various fields. However, many species remain to be discovered, and knowledge gaps exist.

Format: Hardback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 03 August 2021
Publisher: CABI Publishing

Nematodes are undoubtedly the most abundant and diverse metazoans inhabiting freshwater environments, and their remarkable characteristics confer upon them exceptional significance in the ecological realm. These organisms have been assigned a wide range of functional roles, including serving as grazers on bacteria, primary producers, regulators of plant material decomposition, predators, prey for other animals, and intimate symbionts of bacteria and other organisms. Freshwater nematodes hold a pivotal position in the context of environmental monitoring, pollution assessments, global warming, and food webs. This recognition is steadily growing. Furthermore, the short generation time (ranging from a few days to months) of numerous nematode species renders them highly suitable for laboratory investigations. This book serves as a sequel to Freshwater Nematodes: Ecology and Taxonomy (2006). It offers comprehensive guidelines for studying the ecology of free-living nematodes, encompassing detailed protocols and case studies. The book advocates for the use of free-living nematodes as model organisms in research across a diverse array of scientific fields. While the recognized importance of nematodes spans across ecosystems, numerous species of free-living nematodes remain to be discovered, and significant knowledge gaps persist. Ecology of Freshwater Nematodes provides a comprehensive overview of research endeavors in this field, serving as a valuable resource for researchers engaged in the study of nematology and ecology.

Weight: 972g
Dimension: 177 x 251 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789243635