In order to better understand the spatial distributions of soil trophic groups and the potential significance of these distributions to ecosystem functioning, we initiated a study to describe the within-site variability of nematode feeding groups in a row crop ecosystem (paddy). Soil samples (representing alfisols & vertisols) were collected three times during cropping period, viz., prior to planting, grand growth stage and after the harvest of the crop. Soil samples were collected from the depth of 10-25cm; nematode types with their populations; soil microflora (bacteria, fungi & actinomycetes) and their population; and soil properties (pH, moisture holding capacity & soil organic carbon content) were determined from a total of 45 soil samples collected from the same three localities of five villages of Sirsi taluk, Karnataka. Nematodes were identified based on their phenotypic characters and feeding tube (oesophageal) morphology into five trophic groups; bacterivores, fungivores, herbivores, omnivores and predators. The results showed that bacterivores and plant parasitic nematodes were the most abundant in paddy rhizosphere in all the three sampling dates, whereas fungivores and predators/omnivores were less abundant. Nematode diversity and abundance were greatly affected by the soil quality parameters in the subsequent sampling dates. Shannon index (H'), Nematode channel ratio (NCR) and Nematode grazing ratio (NGR) were found to be sensitive ecological indices for assessing the response of nematode communities to agricultural management in an agroecosystem.