Nematode complexes of the forest soils of the National Park Bale in Ethiopia (southern macro slope) were investigated in the end of wet season. The nematodes of ground soils (Nitisols, Acrisols) formed in Hagenia and Hagenia-Juniperus forests and suspended soils formed in Hagenia abyssinica canopy were compared. The nematodes were extracted by the Baermann technique with subsequent determination of total numbers, taxonomic diversity and trophic groups. The status of ecosystems was determined based on values of ecological indices. The number of nematodes in suspended soils was several times higher than in forest soils, with the biomass of animals ten times greater. The bacterivorous nematodes prevailed in all soil types; in the suspended soil their percentage was 75%. The plant parasites and fungivorous nematodes were few in suspended soil compared to Acrisols and Nitisols. In the suspended soils that were less diverse and structural, the fast-reproducing genera-colonizers prevailed. Acrobeloides, Plectus and Rhabditis were eudominantes in the suspended soils, whereas Panagrolaimus, Helicotylenchus and Mesodorylaimus in Nitisols. The trophic webs of all three types of soil are mature, stable, with low level of disturbance.
V. D. Migunova (Wed,) studied this question.