An experimental platform of long-term fertilization was established in 2004 over a maize-soybean rotation ecosystem located at Linze Inland River Basin Research Station in Hexi Corridor, China, aiming at assessing the responses of soil nematode communities to different types of fertilization through five treatments. A total of 18 337 soil nematode individuals were collected, which belonged to 22 families and 30 genera. Results indicated that the organic manure increased the proportion of plant-parasites nematodes in soil nematode communities, and Wasilewska index (WI) had the lowest values (0.98±0.22) in the M₃  treatments, and there were more species and trophic diversities in the organic manure treatments. Synthesis fertilizer suppressed the number of plant-parasites nematodes and increased the proportions of Bacterivores and Fungivores, and WI presented the highest values (2.51±1.12) in the NPK₃ treatments, and the Dominance diversity ( Dom ) and trophic diversity in the NPK₃ treatments had the lowest values of 0.13±0.01 and 2.34±0.07, respectively. The nematode faunal profiles revealed that the appropriate organic and chemical fertilization composition would be favor to development of a healthy and stable soil ecosystem. Nematode faunal analysis was found to be a useful method for interpreting the effects of long-term fertilization on the below-ground soil food web in an arid region.

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