DOI: https://doi.org/10.5513/RYKZ5783
Article
Nematodes as bioindicators of soil conditions at Mauremys rivulata nesting sites in Croatia
2026, 91 (3) p. 14-14
Bruna Tariba, Mirjana Brmež, Dragica Šalamon
Abstract
The aim of this preliminary research was to assess the potential of soil nematode communities as bioindicators of soil condition at nesting sites of the Balkan terrapin, Mauremys rivulata, on agricultural land in southern Croatia. Soil was sampled at nine confirmed nesting sites in 2023 and 2024. Nematodes were
extracted from soil, identified to genus level, classified into feeding groups, and their communities were characterised using nematological indices. Nematode indicators were compared with physicochemical analysis and recorded land use. Nematode abundance, genus richness, feeding-group composition, and soil
food-web structure varied among sites with different land-use and vegetation characteristics and between sampling years. Natural grassland and abandoned sites with overgrown vegetation supported more diverse and structured soil food webs, whereas organic enrichment and cultivation at certain sites were associated with shifts in nematode community structure. Analysis of nematode communities can provide valuable complementary information on soil conditions at turtle nesting sites, particularly when interpreted in combination with soil physicochemical properties and land-use characteristics.
Keywords
Mauremys rivulata, nematodes, bioindicators, soil condition, habitat management
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