Oxygen Consumption By Soil-Inhabiting Nematodes

Oxygen consumption by 22 species of soil-inhabiting nematodes was measured using the cartesian diver method. The exponent of regression for respiration-weight dependence was 0.67 indicating that respiration intensity is proportional to the surface area of the body of those nematodes examined. A comparison was given of respiratory rate (R) and metabolic rate (MR) in various trophic groups of nematodes. Comparisons of the oxygen consumption of nematodes measured by other authors indicated a considerable resemblance in the type of energy metabolism of the whole group of nematodes, irrespective of their habitats. The respiration equations calculated by the authors : R = (1.40 ± 1.17) W 0.72 ± 0.092 ; (MR = 1.40 x W -0.28 ) can be used to assess the requirements needed to maintain nematode communities, if their abundance and age distribution are known.