Abstract: An investigation was conducted on the characteristics of soil nematode communities in different vegetation belts (Spartina alterniflora belt, Sa; Suaeda glauca belt, Sg; bare land, Bl; Phragmites australis belt, Pa; and wheat land, Wl) of Yancheng Wetland Reserve, Jiangsu Province of East China. A total of 39 genera and 20 families of soil nematodes were identified, and the individuals of dominant genera and common genera occupied more than 90% of the total. The total number of the nematodes differed remarkably with vegetation belts, ranged from 79 to 449 individuals per 100 grams of dry soil. Wheat land had the highest number of soil nematodes, while bare land had the lowest one. The nematode ecological indices responded differently to the vegetation belts. The Shannon index (H) and evenness index (J) decreased in the order of Pa > Sg > Wl > Sa > Bl, and the dominance index (λ) was in the order of Bl > Sa > Wl > Sg > Pa, suggesting that the diversity and stability of the nematode community in bare land were lower than those in the other vegetation belts, and the nematode community in the bare land tended to be simplified. The maturity index (MI) was higher in uncultivated vegetation belts than in wheat land, suggesting that the wheat land was disturbed obviously. The nematode community structure differed significantly with vegetation belts, and the main contributing species in different vegetation belts also differed. There existed significant correlations between the soil physical and chemical characteristics and the nematode numbers, trophic groups, and ecological indices. Our results demonstrated that the changes of soil nematode community structure could be used as an indicator well reflecting the diversity of vegetation belt habitat, and an important bio-indicator of coastal wetland ecosystem.