Medium-term effects of corn biochar addition on soil biota activities and functions in a temperate soil cropped to corn

Biochar addition to soil has been generally associated with crop yield increases observed in some soils, and increased nutrient availability is one of the mechanisms proposed. Any impact of biochar on soil organisms can potentially translate to changes in nutrient availability and crop productivity, possibly explaining some of the beneficial and detrimental yield effects reported in literature. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to assess the medium-term impact of biochar addition on microbial and faunal activities in a temperate soil cropped to corn and the consequences for their main functions, litter decomposition and mineralization. Biochar was added to a corn field at rates of 0, 3, 12, 30 tons ha⁻¹ three years prior to this study, in comparison to an annual application of 1 t ha⁻¹.Biochar application increased microbial abundance, which nearly doubled at the highest addition rate, while mesofauna activity, and litter decomposition facilitated by mesofauna were not increased significantly but were positively influenced by biochar addition when these responses were modeled, and in the last case directly and positively associated to the higher microbial abundance. In addition, in short-term laboratory experiments after the addition of litter, biochar presence increased NO₂ + NO₃ mineralization, and decreased that of SO₄ and Cl. However, those nutrient effects were not shown to be of concern at the field scale, where only some significant increases in SOC, pH, Cl and PO₄ were observed.Therefore, no negative impacts in the soil biota activities and functions assessed were observed for the tested alkaline biochar after three years of the application, although this trend needs to be verified for other soil and biochar types.     

Spatiotemporal effects of invertebrates on soil processes

Summary The processes of C and N mineralization carried out by microorganisms are affected directly and indirectly by invertebrates over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Microfauna track temporal changes in bacterial and fungal populations in soil microsites, particularly in the rhizosphere, which alters the dynamic balance between N mobilization and immobilization. The feeding activities of mesofauna can determined the distribution, activities and composition of fungal communities. Macrofauna have major effects on fungal and bacterial activities, both directly, through feeding and gut passage, and indirectly, by affecting the microbial environment in litter and soil.Soil biological processes can therefore be considered a hierarchy of successive levels of organization where the macro-, meso- and microfauna influence microbial activities at different scales in the habitat mosaic. The spatial components of this hierarchy are integrated by plant roots; root morphology must therefore define the scales at which the system operates under different plant nutrient regimes.This paper is dedicated to the memory of Professor M. S. Ghilarov in friendship and respect for his contributions to soil zoology     

Application of Chernobyl-derived Cs for the assessment of soil redistribution within a cultivated field

Vast areas of Europe were contaminated by the Chernobyl-derived ¹³⁷Cs in April–May 1986. This paper reports a detailed study of the post-fallout ¹³⁷Cs redistribution within a 1 ha field located in the Chasovenkov Verh catchment in the northern part of the Middle-Russian upland. Particular attention was paid to the study of reference inventories. It is shown that the random spatial variability of ¹³⁷Cs is similar within undisturbed and cultivated parts of a flat interfluve. Systematic spatial variability is not essential for a relatively short (200 m) topographical unit with simple relief. The analysis of a soil redistribution pattern within the study field using the Chernobyl ¹³⁷Cs technique demonstrates that it is possible to identify areas of soil loss/gain. This pattern does not reflect soil redistribution for the whole field, because these have been only 12 years since the Chernobyl accident. Net erosion rates based on ¹³⁷Cs method were comparable to soil losses directly measured at the study field.     

Three decades of soil microbial biomass studies in Brazilian ecosystems: Lessons learned about soil quality and indications for improving sustainability

Soil microbial biomass plays important roles in nutrient cycling, plant-pathogen suppression, decomposition of residues and degradation of pollutants; therefore, it is often regarded as a good indicator of soil quality. We reviewed more than a hundred studies in which microbial biomass-C (MB-C), microbial quotient (MB-C/TSOC, total soil organic carbon) and metabolic quotient (qCO₂) were evaluated with the objective of understanding MB-C responses to various soil-management practices in Brazilian ecosystems. These practices included tillage systems, crop rotations, pastures, organic farming, inputs of industrial residues and urban sewage sludge, applications of agrochemicals and burning. With a meta-analysis of 233 data points, we confirmed the benefits of no-tillage in preserving MB-C and reducing qCO₂ in comparison to conventional tillage. A large number of studies described increases in MB-C and MB-C/TSOC due to permanent organic farming, also benefits from crop rotations particularly with several species involved, whereas application of agrochemicals and burning severely disturbed soil microbial communities. The MB-C decreased in overgrazed pastures, but increased in pastures rotated with well-managed crops. Responses of MB-C, MB-C/TSOC and qCO₂ to amendment with organic industrial residues varied with residue type, dose applied and soil texture. In conclusion, MB-C and related parameters were, indeed, useful indicators of soil quality in various Brazilian ecosystems. However, direct relationships between MB-C and nutrient-cycling dynamics, microbial diversity and functionality are still unclear. Further studies are needed to develop strategies to maximize beneficial effects of microbial communities on soil fertility and crop productivity.     

Soil fauna alter the effects of litter composition on nitrogen cycling in a mineral soil

Plant chemical composition and the soil community are known to influence litter and soil organic matter decomposition. Although these two factors are likely to interact, their mechanisms and outcomes of interaction are not well understood. Studies of their interactive effects are rare and usually focus on carbon dynamics of litter, while nutrient dynamics in the underlying soil have been ignored. A potential mechanism of interaction stems from the role fauna plays in regulating availability of litter-derived materials in the mineral soil. We investigated the role of soil fauna (meso, macro) in determining the effect of surface-litter chemical composition on nitrogen mineralization and on the micro-food web in mineral soils. In a field setting we exposed mineral soil to six types of surface-applied litter spanning wide ranges of multiple quality parameters and restricted the access of larger soil animals to the soils underlying these litters. Over six months we assessed litter mass and nitrogen loss, nitrogen mineralization rates in the mineral soils, and soil microbes and microfauna. We found evidence that the structure of the soil community can alter the effect of surface-litter chemical composition on nitrogen dynamics in the mineral soil. In particular, we found that the presence of members of the meso- and macrofauna can magnify the control of nitrogen mineralization by litter quality and that this effect is time dependent. While fauna were able to affect the size of the micro-food web they did not impact the effect of litter composition on the abundance of the members of the micro-food web. By enhancing the strength of the impact of litter quality on nitrogen dynamics, the larger fauna can alter nitrogen availability and its temporal dynamics which, in turn, can have important implications for ecosystem productivity. These findings contribute to evidence demonstrating that soil fauna shape plant litter effects on ecosystem function.     

Effects of soil fauna on leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus from experimental systems simulating coniferous forest floor

Summary Long-term experiments (97–98 weeks) were carried out in macrocosm systems simulating the complexity of coniferous forest soil. The macrocosms were partially sterilized by freezing, thawing and drying, then re-inoculated with microbes alone or microbes + soil fauna. Removable microcosms containing birch litter, spruce litter, or humus were inserted into the substrate humus in the macrocosms. Two experiments used organic matter only, and in the third there was mineral soil below the humus. The macrocosms were incubated in climate chambers that simulated both summer and winter conditions. At 4- to 6-week intervals the substrates were irrigated for analyses of pH, total N, NH ₄ ⁺ –N, NO ₃ ^– –N, and PO ₄ ^3– –P in the leachates. At the end of each growing season a destructive sampling was performed, including analyses of KCl-extractable N and P.Leaching of NH ₄ ⁺ and PO ₄ ^3– from both the litter and the total systems was significantly enhanced by the soil fauna. There were also differences in mineralization of N and P between the refaunated systems, apparently due to divergent development of the faunal communities. In general, fauna affected KCl-extractable nutrients from the litter positively, although this effect was less evident than in the leaching water. In the humus and mineral soil the fauna significantly increased the release of N and P, especially in the later stages of the experiments. Soil pH was higher in the presence of fauna, but there was no difference in the pH of the leachates. Not only invertebrate-microbial interactions, but also mutual relationships among fauna were important in the nutrient dynamics.     

IBQS: A synthetic index of soil quality based on soil macro-invertebrate communities

We developed a synthetic index of biological soil quality (IBQS) based on soil macro-invertebrate community patterns to assess soil quality. In 22 sites representing the diversity of agroecosystems encountered in France, invertebrate communities co-varied significantly with a set of 14 parameters describing the physical and chemical properties of soil (co-inertia, p < 0.001; RV = 0.70). Using hierarchical classification, sites could be separated into four homogeneous groups and, using the ‘indicator value’ method, 46 indicator taxa characteristic of one or another of these groups were identified. We then used a formula that takes into account the abundance of indicator species and their respective indicator values to score soils from 1 to 20. IBQS was able to detect the effects of management practices on soil quality. Soil quality varied from 6 to 20 in forests, 7 to 9 in pastures and 2 to 9 in crops respectively. This suggests that well-managed crops and pastures may have better soil quality than some forests. Our results confirm that soil macro-invertebrates provide an integrative measure of soil quality and that the proposed index can be used either in short- or long-term monitoring, provided that it is calibrated and validated with respect to the regional context of the study.     

Dwarf mistletoe effects on soil basidiomycete community structure, soil fungal functional diversity, and soil enzyme function: Implications for climate change

We used a combination of molecular, culture and biochemical methods to test the hypothesis that severe infection of pine by dwarf mistletoe (genus Arceuthobium) has significant effects on structure and function of soil fungal communities, and on carbon cycling in soils. PCR and DNA sequencing of the basidiomycete communities in paired blocks of uninfected and infected trees revealed: (1) that the top, organic soil layer in this system is inhabited almost exclusively by ectomycorrhizal fungi; (2) no difference in species richness (6 species core⁻¹ in both) or Shannon-Wiener evenness (0.740 and 0.747 in uninfected and infected blocks respectively), however Shannon-Wiener diversity was significantly greater in infected blocks (1.19 vs 1.94 in uninfected and infected blocks respectively, P < 0.05); (3) significant differences in basidiomycete species composition, with nearly complete absence of two system co-dominant Russula species in infected blocks, and replacement of one co-dominant Piloderma species with another in infected plots, indicating physiological variability within the genus. Soil fungal physiological diversity measured using the Fungilog system was significantly greater in terms of both number of carbon substrates used by culturable soil fungi (both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes) in infected blocks, and the rate at which these substrates were used. Soil enzyme assays revealed greater laccase, peroxidase, and cellulase activities in soils associated with infected trees. Thus, event cascades associated with severe dwarf mistletoe infection not only significantly affected soil fungal species composition and increased species diversity, but also impacted on carbon-related function and functional diversity. Given the geographic range of this pathogen, and forecasts that epidemics of this disease will increase in range in severity with global climate change, these effects have the potential to significantly impact local and global carbon budgets.     

Reducing the dimensionality of soil microinvertebrate community datasets using Indicator Species Analysis: Implications for ecosystem monitoring and soil management

Soil microinvertebrates are closely associated with soil decomposition and nutrient cycles and may be particularly responsive indicators for soil management practices. However, identification of appropriate bioindicator species for many systems has been severely limited by a lack of information on species taxonomy, distribution, and functional role. We evaluated Indicator Species Analysis (ISA) as an objective method for assessing the indicator potential of different taxa without regard to their ecological role or expected management response. Restricting ordination and site classification to significant indicator morphotaxa reduced the dimensionality of the community data matrix by 69% while only slightly decreasing the efficiency of unsupervised classification (from 87.2 to 84.4%); the percentage of total variability explained by first two PCA axes increased following ISA. When these same indicator morphotaxa were used to classify an independent set of samples, the percentage of total variability explained by the first two PCA axes increased from 55.3 to 65.2%; cluster analysis of the test dataset correctly classified 47 out of 50 plots by cover type (94% accuracy). However, restriction of analysis to indicator morphotaxa alone reduced detection of differences between sampling dates relative to the complete dataset. Although care needs to be taken to ensure that the dataset used for indicator selection is fully representative of underlying temporal and spatial variability, ISA appears to overcome many of the limitations associated with parametric and multivariate approaches for identifying indicator morphotaxa and has the potential to greatly reduce the taxonomic expertise and labor costs associated with sorting and identification of soil microarthropods.     

Long-term effects of seasonal and diurnal temperature fluctuations on carbon dioxide efflux from a forest soil

Temperature fluctuations are a fundamental entity of the soil environment in the temperate zone and show fast (diurnal) and slow (seasonal) dynamics. Responses of soil respiration to temperature fluctuations were investigated in a root-free soil of a mid-European beech-oak forest. First, in laboratory we analysed the efflux of CO₂ from soil microcosms exposed to seasonal (±5 °C of the annual mean) and diurnal fluctuations (±5 °C of the seasonal levels) in a two-factorial design. Second, in field microcosms we investigated effects of smoothing diurnal temperature fluctuations in soil (simulating a possible global trend) on CO₂ efflux. Third, the natural temperature regime was simulated in laboratory microcosms and their CO₂ efflux was compared to the one in the field. The experiments lasted for 1 year to differentiate seasonal and annual responses.Dynamics of CO₂ efflux, microbial basal respiration, biomass and qO₂ varied with seasonal temperature regime. However, in the laboratory the annual cumulative CO₂-C production did not differ between treatments and varied between 10.9% and 11.7% of the total microcosm C, disregarding seasonal and/or diurnal fluctuations. The similarity of cumulative C production suggests that the availability of microbially mobilisable carbon pools rather than the temperature regime limited soil respiration. Diurnal fluctuations generally did not affect CO₂ efflux and microbial activity, though winter Q₁₀ values were increased in their absence. Simulation of the natural temperature regime in the laboratory resulted in CO₂ efflux similar to field microcosms. In the field, rates of CO₂ efflux and microbial activity, seasonal and annual cumulative CO₂-C production were significantly higher at smoothed than at natural temperature conditions (annually 13.1% and 11.0% of total C was respired, respectively). Facing global climate changes the mechanisms regulating responses of soil respiration to temperature fluctuations need further investigation.     

Abundance and trophic structure of macro-decomposers on alpine pastureland (Central Alps, Tyrol): effects of abandonment of pasturing

On four differently managed and abandoned alpine meadows and pastures densities, biomasses and ¹⁵N signatures of the macrofauna were assessed to evaluate the structural and functional changes of the decomposer food webs. The composition of the macrofauna decomposer community changes remarkably after the abandonment of alpine meadows and pastures. Lumbricus rubellus functions as key primary decomposer on alpine meadows and pastures whereas on abandoned sites other primary decomposers including Dendrobaena octaedra, Cylindroiulus meinerti, C. fulviceps and diptera larvae become more important. Decomposer species, such as Enantiulus nanus, presumably function as both primary and secondary decomposers and endogeic earthworms, such as Octolasion lacteum and Aporrectodea rosea, uniformly function as secondary decomposers. Abandonment of pasturing causes a shift in the composition of the macrofauna and the newly established fauna is unable to process and translocate the litter materials produced by the plants of the abondoned sites.     

The adverse effects of soil salinization on the growth of Trifolium alexandrinum L. and associated microbial and biochemical properties in a soil from Iran

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of increasing concentrations of salt solutions (including 0.12, 2, 6, and 10 dS m⁻¹) on the growth of berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) and related soil microbial activity, biomass and enzyme activities. Results showed that the dry weights of root and shoot decreased with an increase in the concentrations of salt solutions. Soil salinization depressed the microbiological activities including soil respiration and enzyme activities. Substrate-induced respiration was consistently lower in salinized soils, whereas microbial biomass C did not vary among salinity levels. Higher metabolic quotients (qCO₂) and unaffected microbial biomass C at high EC values may indicate that salinity is a stressful factor, inducing either a shift in the microbial community with less catabolic activity or reduced efficiency of substrate utilization. Acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities decreased with increasing soil salinity. We found significant, positive correlations between the activities of phosphatase enzymes and plant's root mass, suggesting that any decrease in the activities of the two enzymes could be attributed to the reduced root biomass under saline conditions.     

Assessment of soil erosion on arable land using Cs measurements: a case study from Jaslovske Bohunice, Slovakia

This study was carried out to obtain a representative set of data on long-term erosion rates from a pilot area located close to the Jaslovske Bohunice village, in western Slovakia using the ¹³⁷Cs-method. The study area chosen was representative of the hilly loess cultivated areas of Slovakia. The sampling strategy was based on a multiple transect approach. Analyses of the samples for ¹³⁷Cs activity were made at the Nuclear Power Plant Research Institute, Jaslovske Bohunice. The ¹³⁷Cs-method was used to obtain long-term estimates of soil erosion in the Jaslovske Bohunice site, a representative hilly loess cultivated area of Slovakia. The estimated reference ¹³⁷Cs inventory was 2910 Bq m⁻², with a coefficient of variation of 4.3%.Examination of the ¹³⁷Cs redistribution in relation to the topography of the study area revealed that, within individual transects the ¹³⁷Cs inventories were closely related to major landforms. The ¹³⁷Cs inventories were considerably lower on the slopes than on the plateau and they were highest in the valley. However, when plotted against a selection of individual quantitative slope parameters, i.e. the S and the LS factors of the USLE or slope inclination, the correlations obtained were weak.Three conversion models, i.e. the proportional model (PM), the simplified mass balance model (MBM1) and the standard mass balance model (MBM2), from the set of models developed at Exeter University, Great Britain were selected to interpret the resulting ¹³⁷Cs measurements into soil erosion/deposition rates. The mean erosion rates estimated with the PM were 22.4, 35.6 with MBM1 and 17.3 t ha⁻¹ per year with MBM2. There was a good agreement between the average of these mean erosion rates (25.1 t ha⁻¹ per year) for the Jaslovske Bohunice site and the estimated mean soil erosion rate obtained for small erosion plots (15 t ha⁻¹ per year) for conditions similar to the study site. Nevertheless, further research on the application of the ¹³⁷Cs-method, in particular the independent validation of the results obtained, is needed. Several issues requiring further study have been highlighted.     

Influence of leaf litter types on microbial functions and nutrient status of soil: Ecological suitability of forest trees for afforestation in tropical laterite wastelands

The impact of forest tree leaf litters on microbial activity and nutrient status of red laterite soil was tested for the ecological suitability of Cassia siamea, Shorea robusta, Acacia auriculiformes and Dalbergia sissoo, which are typically used for afforestation of wastelands in eastern India. The objectives were to compare seasonal variation in soil enzyme activity in 30-years old afforested sites, and to study nutrient status and microbial biomass and function during short-term in-situ incubation of litter in decomposition pits. In afforested soils, enzyme activities significantly varied between litters and seasons. All enzyme activity except invertase dominated in the soils containing Dalbergia and Cassia litters compared to the others. The seasonal effect was enzyme-dependent, with amylase and cellulase reaching peaks during the rainy season but invertase activity showed a reverse trend with lowest values in rainy season, except in Acacia soil, and protease activity was lowest in the soil containing Cassia and Dalbergia during the rainy season. Dehydrogenase activity was negligible in the soils containing Shorea and Acacia, but remained high with respect to Dalbergia and Cassia during all seasons. The decomposition pit study showed significant increase of soil nutrients with respect to litter types and intervals, except with respect to electrical conductivity. Cassia and Dalbergia litters enabled notable increase of soil nutrients than Shorea and Acacia. The soil enzyme activity, in general, increased with duration of litter decay, but microbial biomass C (MBC) decreased over time except in Shorea. Therefore, the enzyme rates normalized to the MBC indicated inverse relations for all enzymes, except in the soil containing Shorea. A positive relationship existed between MBC and soil respiration in Cassia, Acacia and Dalbergia. Analysis of variance revealed main effects of litter types for increasing protease, MBC and CO₂ output, and a main effect of intervals for enhancing enzymes other than cellulase. Rates of soil respiration were greater in soils contain Cassia and Dalbergia, and showed significant differences between litters and between intervals. All enzymes were significantly correlated with electrical conductivity, organic carbon and available phosphorus contents, and all enzymes except invertase were correlated with nitrate concentrations. The acidic soil pH did not affect enzyme activities, and soil nutrients exerted only weak effect on MBC and respiration. Our study showed that leaf litters of Cassia and Dalbergia trees improved the nutrient status and microbial activity in soil more so than Shorea and Acacia litters, and therefore, afforestation using Cassia and Dalbergia trees may be particularly suitable for soil restoration in tropical laterite wastelands.     

The impact of forest paths upon adjacent vegetation: effects of the path surfacing material on the species composition and soil compaction

This paper describes the vegetation which develops around forest paths (closed to public motor vehicles) in a 4383 ha-beech forest in central Belgium. The main purposes of these investigations were to analyse how far into the forest stands, paths have an influence on the surrounding plant species composition; and to acquire more specific information on the particular effect of some types of surfacing materials. The results show that forest paths have a significant effect on the surrounding plant assemblages. Some species are significantly associated with one particular type of surfacing material. Globally, the presence of a path results in an increase in the number of ruderal species, disturbance indicators, nitrogen-demanding species and indicators of basic conditions. Eutrophication and pH increase, as inferred from the plant composition, are perceptible up to a minimum distance of 10 m from the path. The consequences for long-term conservation of the woodland flora are discussed.     

Field compaction at different soil-water status: effects on pore size distribution and soil water characteristics of a Rhodic Ferralsol in Western Cuba

The level of compaction induced on cultivated fields through trafficking is strongly influenced by the prevailing soil-water status and, depending on the attendant soil degradation, vital soil hydraulic processes could be affected. Therefore, understanding the relationship between field soil-water status and the corresponding level of induced compaction for a given load is considered an imperative step toward a better control of the occurrence of traffic-induced field soil compaction. Pore size distribution, a fundamental and highly degradable soil property, was measured in a Rhodic Ferralsol, the most productive and extensively distributed soil in Western Cuba, to study the effects of three levels of soil compaction on soil water characteristic parameters. Soil bulk density and cone penetration index were used to measure compaction levels established by seven passes of a 10 Mg tractor at three soil-water statuses corresponding to the plastic (Fs), friable (Fc) and relatively dry soil (Ds) consistency states. Pore size distribution calculated from soil water characteristic curves was classified into three pore size categories on the basis of their hydraulic functioning: >50 μm (f_>50 μm), 50–0.5 μm (f_{50–0.5 μm}) and <0.5 μm (f_<0.5 μm). The greatest compaction levels were attained in the Fs and Fc soil water treatments, and a significant contribution to compaction was attributed to the existing soil water states under which the soil compaction was accomplished. Average cone index (CI) values in the range of 2.93–3.70 MPa reflected the accumulation of f_<0.5 μm pores, and incurred severe reductions in the volume of f_>50 μm pores in the Fs and Fc treatments, while an average CI value of 1.69 MPa indicated increments in the volume of f_{50–0.5 μm} in the Ds treatment. Despite the differential effects of soil compaction on the distribution of the different pore size categories, soil total porosity (f_Total) was not effective in reflecting treatment effects. Soil water desorption at the soil water potentials evaluated (0.0 to −15,000 cm H₂O) was adversely affected in the f_<0.5 μm dominated treatments; strong soil water retention was observed with the predominance of f_<0.5 μm, as was confirmed by the high water content at plant wilting point. Based on these findings, the use of field capacity water content as the upper limit of plant available soil water was therefore considered inappropriate for compacted soils.     

A modeling study of soil temperature and moisture effects on population dynamics of Paronychiurus kimi (Collembola: Onychiuridae)

The effect of soil moisture on population dynamics of Paronychiurus kimi (Collembola) was examined by combining an empirical soil moisture model with a temperature-sensitive, stage-structured population model. Field observations of soil temperature were used to drive the population model, and simulations were compared to field observations of juvenile and adult densities. Simulations without soil moisture effects produced stable, interyear population dynamics and a significant correlation between simulations and observations (n=12, r ²=0.40, P<0.05) but overestimated densities during much of the year. Adding responses to soil moisture improved the fit between simulations and observations (n=13, r ²=0.40), suggesting that soil moisture is a major limiting factor on field populations of P. kimi. Moreover, an observed temporary decline in field populations during spring could be explained partly by the effects of an herbicide, paraquat (N,N′-dimethyl-gamma,gamma′-bipyridylium dichloride) (r ²=0.45), suggesting that paraquat imposes additional limits on collembolan populations.     

Experimental evidence for the role of earthworms in compacted soil regeneration based on field observations and results from a semi-field experiment

In laboratory experiments, earthworms are often observed to burrow through compacted soil layers, leading to the general assumption that these animals play a significant role in regenerating compacted soils in agricultural plots. To demonstrate this role under field conditions, the abundance of earthworm macropores inside compacted zones was estimated on plots under reduced (RT) or conventional tillage (CT). Then, different types of compacted zones typically found in CT (plough pan and compacted clods) and RT plots (compacted volume under wheel tracks) were experimentally simulated in wooden boxes, buried in the field and inoculated with different earthworm species. After 6 weeks of incubation, the number of macropores inside the compacted zones was examined. Field observations showed that approximately 10% and 30% of the compacted zones were colonised by at least one macropore in CT and RT plots, respectively. A significantly greater number of anecics was found in RT plots, but we could not conclude that this ecological type of earthworm plays a more major role in the regeneration process in these plots since there were fewer compacted zones and these covered a smaller area in CT. The semi-field experiment provided evidence that earthworm-mediated regeneration of compacted zones is possible and its nature varies between ecological types of earthworm. Lumbricus terrestris, which makes individual burrows that are vertical and deep, was the main species to cross through the plough pan. The other three earthworm species (Aporrectodea giardi, A. caliginosa and A. rosea) did burrow inside the other types of compacted zones (“wheel tracks” and “compacted clods”). In every case, however, macropore density was far greater in non-compacted zones, illustrating that avoidance of compacted soil by earthworms is important and should be taken into account when extrapolating results from laboratory studies.