Population growth and intrinsic rate of natural increase of the high arctic nematode Chiloplacus sp. at low and high temperatures.

Population growth of the High Arctic free-living soil nematode Chiloplacus sp. was measured at 0°, 2°, 5°, 10°, 15°, 20° and 25° C. The corresponding values of the intrinsic rate of natural increase, r, were 0, 0.0178, 0.0605, 0.0823, 0.1216, 0.1384 and 0.2131 respectively. The relation of r to temperature is described by the function r=0.0088+0.0075T. Chiloplacus sp. grows and reproduces at lower temperatures than do many other nematodes, and has shorter generation times at comparable low temperatures, suggesting rate compensation to low temperature.