@article {Hua:2009xe,
	title = {Environmental factors affecting nematode community structure in the Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent waters},
	journal = {Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom},
	volume = {89},
	year = {2009},
	pages = {109-117},
	publisher = {CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS},
	address = {32 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10013-2473 USA},
	abstract = {This paper describes the major features of nematode assemblages collected at 18 stations in the Changiiang River estuary and its adjacent waters and identifies dominant species within communities in relation to environmental parameters. Meiofauna from the Changiiang Estuary and its adjacent waters comprised 21 major taxa of higher categories. Subsamples of nematodes were extracted and identified to the species level. In general, the nematode community structure was similar to that of muddy sub-littoral areas world-wide. The most abundant genera were Daptonema, Cobbia, Sabatieria, Dorylaimopsis and Terschellingia, accounting for 50.0\%. The studied area exhibited high nematode abundance and high species biodiversity. Measurements of environmental factors were made, including grain size, salinity, temperature, sediment organic matter content, Chl-a and Phaeo-a. Different combinations of environmental variables are responsible for the meiofauna and nematode communities{\textquoteright} structures. However, BIOENV results indicate that water depth, salinity, Chl-a, Phaeo-a and silt-clay content were more closely linked to variation in meiofauna (mainly nematode) community structure in the studied area. Among these, water depth, salinity, Chl-a and Phaeo-a were most responsible for nematode assemblage discrimination in the studied area.},
	keywords = {Chiangjiang Estuary, community structure, environmental factors, nematodes, People{\textquoteright}s Republic of China},
	doi = {DOI 10.1017/S0025315408002361},
	author = {Hua, E. and Zhang, Z. N. and Zhang, Y.}
}
@article {Hourston:2009rc,
	title = {Spatial and seasonal variations in the ecological characteristics of the free-living nematode assemblages in a large microtidal estuary},
	journal = {Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science},
	volume = {82},
	year = {2009},
	pages = {309-322},
	publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS LTD ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD},
	address = {24-28 OVAL RD, LONDON NW1 7DX, ENGLAND},
	abstract = {This study has determined the ways in which the density, number of species, species composition and trophic structure of free-living nematode assemblages in the subtidal waters of a large southern hemisphere microtidal estuary change spatially and seasonally, and has explored whether those four biotic characteristics are related to certain environmental factors. Based on data derived from samples collected seasonally at 12 sites throughout the estuary, the densities and number of species of nematodes decreased progressively with distance from estuary mouth, to reach a minimum at sites where salinities were most variable. and then increased slightly in the uppermost part of the estuary where salinities were least. Densities were also generally greatest in spring, due largely to increases in the abundance of epistrate-grazing species at this time and thus when the amount of primary food (microphytobenthos) peaked. The spatial distribution of the composition of the nematode assemblages was closely correlated with salinity and, to a lesser extent, grain-size composition and amount of particulate organic material (\%POM) in the sediment. Although species composition changed sequentially along the estuary, the change was particularly pronounced between sites above and below the area where salinities started to decline markedly and become more variable and \%POM increased markedly. This reflected, in particular, far greater abundances of Spirinia parasitifera at the six downstream sites and of Theristus sp. 1 at the six sites further upstream. Species composition underwent pronounced seasonal cyclical changes at all sites, presumably reflecting interspecific differences in the timing of peak reproduction and thus of recruitment. The trophic structure of the nematode assemblages changed both spatially and temporally in relation to the relative abundance of different food sources. Thus, for example, non-selective deposit feeders, such as Theristus sp. 1, dominated samples in the upper estuary, where \%POM was by far the greatest, and was rare or absent at downstream sites. Conversely, epistrate grazers, such as species of the Chromadoridae, were most abundant at downstream sites in spring, when the density of the microphytobenthos reached its maximum. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.},
	keywords = {environmental factors, microtidal estuary, nematodes, number of species and density, species and trophic compositions},
	doi = {DOI 10.1016/j.ecss.2009.01.018},
	author = {Hourston, M. and Potter, I. C. and Warwick, R. M. and Valesini, F. J. and Clarke, K. R.}
}
