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To test the hypothesis that nematodes can contribute to an ecological soil classification, the nematode fauna of several Dutch terrestrial habitats was studied. A total of 209 samples from 44 nature reserves or slightly managed sites (n = 94) differing in vegetation (forest, shrubs, heathland, grassland) and soil type (clay, loam, sand) were studied. A selection of sites was studied over four seasons, and at one site variation in nematode fauna composition as a result of the selected sampling technique was studied. Nematodes extracted from bulk soil samples taken from the 0–10 cm depth mineral soil, and were identified to genus. Multivariate analysis techniques were used to classify the nematode samples into seven sample groups (SG) as described by soil characteristics in combination with the vegetation as follows: (1) SG A grasslands, dwarf-shrub vegetation and forest gaps on sandy soils; (2) SG B grasslands and …