Villenave Cécile auteur aut IRD Saj S. auteur aut IRD Attard E. auteur aut IRD Klumpp K. auteur aut IRD Le Roux X. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access Changes in grassland management induce disturbances that influence both soil functioning and soil fauna. This study aimed at determining the extent to which the composition of a grassland soil nematode community could be altered by a shift of grazing regime and the potential feedback that these alterations could provoke on grassland functioning. Therefore, we monitored the composition of the soil nematode community (i.e., plant-, bacterial-and fungal-feeders, omnivores and carnivores) of mesocosms that were sampled from two contrasted long-term field trials (high vs low grazing treatments) and subsequently subjected to high or no grazing for 2 years. The soil nematofauna responded faster and more strongly to the application of an intensive grazing regime on a previously extensively exploited system than the other way round. The application of an intensive grazing regime induced a significant increase in numbers of bacterial feeders and a decrease of the relative abundance of fungal-feeding nematodes. The nematofaunal community structure was determined by both the past and current grazing regimes throughout the 2 years of monitoring. Observed effects on soil microbivores seemed to reflect the 'immediate' above-ground primary production potential and to follow micro-organism dynamics. On the other hand, observed effects on root-feeding nematodes seemed to reflect the integral effect of past and current grazing regimes on plant community root biomass and quality. specialized defoliation ecological indices functional guilds grassland grazing (de)-intensification urea 074 076 13 Part 8 995-1008 2011 1388-5545 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/PAR00008679 10.1163/138855411x574558 1388-5545 [F B010086607] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/PAR00008679 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/2023-06/010086607.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2012-05-04 2023-06-23 PAR00008679 fre