Earthworm composition,diversity and biomass under three land use systems in south-eastern Australia |
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| Institution: | 1. Australian National University, Fenner School of Environment and Society, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, Canberra, ACT, Australia;2. CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Canberra, ACT, Australia;1. School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia;2. School of Earth and Environment, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia;3. Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture Policy and Development, University of Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AR, UK;1. Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Box AB, 2801 Sharon Turnpike, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA;2. Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-3001, USA;3. Department of Biology, Miami University, 212 Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH 45056, USA;4. Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Drive, Orlando, FL 32816-2368, USA;5. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia, 180 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602-2152, USA;1. Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China;2. Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, China;3. Center of Excellence in Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, D-50674, Köln, Germany;4. SRUC, Crop and Soil Systems Research Group, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK;1. Departamento Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain;2. Forest Research Group, Universidad de Extremadura, Plasencia 10600, Spain |
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| Abstract: | In south-eastern Australia, strips of planted native trees and shrubs (shelterbelts) are frequently established to restore ecosystem services altered by agriculture. Despite their wide use, little is known about the effects of establishing shelterbelts on soil macro invertebrates, especially earthworms, which are of major importance in soil processes. We assessed earthworm composition, diversity and biomass in three land use systems: native shelterbelts dominated by Acacia and Eucalyptus species, agricultural pastures and native remnant woodland fragments dominated by Eucalyptus blakelyi and/or Eucalyptus melliodora. Earthworm communities differed significantly among systems, with abundance, biomass and diversity greatest under pasture. Within shelterbelts we saw a shift from high earthworm biomass and density to low with increasing time after establishment. Soil edaphic variables did not correlate strongly with earthworm biomass or density, but were correlated with earthworm community composition. Overall the introduction of native woody vegetation was associated with a decline in density and biomass of earthworms, including a decrease in the relative abundance of exotic species. As such shelterbelts can be used to promote native earthworm relative abundance, which may be important for local diversity, soil function and landscape connectivity. |
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| Keywords: | Earthworm Shelterbelts Soil edaphic properties Agricultural restoration Exotic species |
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