title: Sandy beaches: state of the art of nematode ecology.
abstract: In this review, we summarize existing knowledge of the ecology of sandy-beach nematodes, in relation to spatial distribution, food webs, pollution and climate change. We attempt to discuss spatial scale patterns (macro-, meso- and microscale) according to their degree of importance in structuring sandy-beach nematode assemblages. This review will provide a substantial background on current knowledge of sandy-beach nematodes, and can be used as a starting point to delineate further investigations in this field. Over decades, sandy beaches have been the scene of studies focusing on community and population ecology, both related to morphodynamic models. The combination of physical factors (e.g. grain size, tidal exposure) and biological interactions (e.g. trophic relationships) is responsible for the spatial distribution of nematodes. In other words, the physical factors are more important in structuring nematodes communities over large scale of distribution while biological interactions are largely important in finer-scale distributions. It has been accepted that biological interactions are assumed to be of minor importance because physical factors overshadow the biological interactions in sandy beach sediments; however, the most recent results from in-situ and ex-situ experimental investigations on behavior and biological factors on a microscale have shown promise for understanding the mechanisms underlying larger-scale patterns and processes. Besides nematodes are very promising organisms used to understand the effects of pollution and climate changes although these subjects are less studied in sandy beaches than distribution patterns.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Departamento de Ecologia e Recursos Marinhos, Av. Pasteur, 458, 22290-240 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Tatiana F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Maria
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Biology Department, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281- S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vanaverbeke
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Biology Department, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281- S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanreusel
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Departamento de Zoologia Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rêgo, s/n, Cidade Universitária, 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brasil.
authors.forename: André M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Esteves
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001493:Bathing Beaches; D057231:Climate Change; D017753:Ecosystem; D009348:Nematoda; D011156:Population Density