Earthworm populations in a savanna-agroforestry system of Venezuelan Amazonia

 In the forest-savanna ecotone around Puerto Ayacucho, Amazonas State, Venezuela, characterized by sandy entisols and ultisols with very low natural fertility, some producers have established agroforestry systems (AFS) of production on savanna soils by adding animal manure as the main fertilizer. This paper examines the earthworm communities in a natural savanna (NS) and in an AFS supplied with organic fertilizers established over 25 years ago. Organic matter management of the savanna soils has strongly modified the earthworm populations in the studied AFS as compared with the original savanna soil. Earthworm density was found to be 1.6–4.8 times higher in the AFS than in the original savanna. The correlations among earthworm populations and soil parameters suggested that earthworms in AFS can be limited by the amounts of food (organic matter) present in the soil. Moisture, in turn, affects other parameters that are important for earthworm distribution. Our results emphasized the importance of appropriate organic-matter management and the relevance of earthworms in such agroecosystems. By promoting the use of the earthworm population as an agroecological factor linked to low levels of organic fertilization, it is possible to promote major agroecological sustainability in sandy savanna soils. Received: 29 April 1998     

Earthworm populations as affected by crop practices on clay loam soil in a Mediterranean climate

Abstract

Earthworms influence soil fertility, and their population is known to be influenced by fertilization. The objective of this study is to characterize the abundance of earthworms under three different kinds of rotation-crops (Rotation: cereals–legumes for green manure-cotton), three tillage systems (Conventional Tillage CT, Minimum Tillage MT, & No-Tillage NT) and fertilization (NP: inorganic and FYM: farmyard manure-organic). Significantly higher populations of earthworms were found under the legumes and NT system in contrast to the lowest abundance determined under the cotton and CT system. Earthworm populations benefited more from organic fertilization than from NP. Our study showed that the most important factors for earthworm abundance are the macropores and C_org under Mediterranean conditions. No-till management considerably influenced the improvement of the physical and chemical soil properties and increased the earthworm abundance.     

Earthworm effects on selected physical and chemical properties of soil aggregates

Summary Some physical and chemical properties of 1-to 2-mm aggregates obtained from casts and the burrow-wall material of the earthworm species Lumbricus terrestris, Aporrectodea longa, and Aporrectodea caliginosa were determined in order to show the effects of earthworms on the stabilization of soil aggregates. The results were compared with those of the natural soil from the Ap horizon of a Parabraunerde (Luvisol, FAO). Both the tensile strength and the water stability of aggregates from casts and burrow-wall material were reduced compared with those of the natural aggregates but were increased compared with those of remoulded aggregates. These results indicate that to a great extent existing bonds are destroyed by earthworm ingestion. Nevertheless, earthworm activities are advantageous for the stabilization of reformed aggregates. The coarse sand fraction is reduced by selective ingestion by earthworms. The organic C content is increased by 4.1–21.0% for burrow-wall material and by 21.2–43.0% for casts. The carbonate content of aggregates from casts and burrow-wall material of L. terrestris was reduced by more than 50%, while that of A. longa showed no noticeable changes and that of A. caliginosa was increased by more than 60%. The total content of polysaccharides was increased by 35–87% for casts and by 33–46% for the burrow-wall material of all earthworm species. The most frequently detected monosaccharides were glucose, galactose, and glucosamine. L. terrestris appeared to have the strongest effect on the interparticle bonding of the reformed aggregates, measured both as tensile strength and water stability, followed by A. longa and A. caliginosa.     

Earthworm communities in grasslands and horticultural soils

 In a survey of 42 farm sites, comprising grassland and two types of horticultural farms (growing vegetables or flower bulbs), earthworm communities were sampled by hand-sorting and a number of soil physico-chemical characteristics recorded. For heavy metals the availability in the soil solution was estimated based on the measured absolute content. Abundance, biomass and species richness were significantly higher in grassland soils than in horticultural soils, and within the horticultural farms significantly higher in vegetable than in flower-bulb farms. No epigeic species were found in horticultural soils. The differences between the various farm types were probably related to the intensity of management practices, such as soil tillage, harvesting and crop protection measures, that result in less soil organic matter of lower quality. The data from the grassland farms were analyzed in conjunction with the physico-chemical soil characteristics, applying canonical correspondence analysis. Community parameters such as species richness and diversity apparently were not related to soil characteristics, but an appreciable part of the variation in abundance and biomass of several individual species could be explained by factors such as lutum content (particles <16 μm), pH, bio-availability of metal ions and geographical position of the sample site. It is concluded that repeated surveys of this type may become a valuable tool for monitoring soil quality. Received: 16 March 2000     

蚯蚓活动对生态滤池土壤酶活性的影响

通过构建蚯蚓生态滤池和无蚯蚓对照生态滤池的实验,研究了蚯蚓活动对生态滤池土壤酶活性(蔗糖酶、脲酶、碱性磷酸酶)的影响以及酶活性的季节动态变化特征。研究结果表明,在0~20 cm的基质层,三种土壤酶活性随土壤深度的增加而减少;蚯蚓活动对生态滤池的基质酶活性有促进作,蔗糖酶和脲酶活性在蚯蚓作用下得到显著的提高,而碱性磷酸酶对蚯蚓活动的响应仅限于5~10 cm基质层;在试验期内,生态滤池内的蚯蚓数量及生物量受温度及土壤湿度的影响表现出较大的季节波动:夏季最高,春季冬季相对较高,秋季最低;三种土壤酶活性表现为相似的季节变化规律:秋季活性最高,而秋季和夏季的酶活性高于春季和冬季。蚯蚓活动对生态滤池基质土壤蔗糖酶活性和脲酶显著的促进作用,并间接影响了其对生活污水污染物去除效果。     

蚯蚓在土壤重金属污染及其修复中的应用研究进展

蚯蚓作为主要的大型土壤动物类群,对土壤环境改善起到了重要的作用,本文在系统分析、归纳总结国内外相关领域研究成果的基础上,综述了蚯蚓在土壤重金属污染及其修复中的应用研究进展,主要包括:蚯蚓作为土壤重金属污染的指示生物,蚯蚓对重金属的富集与释放,重金属对蚯蚓生理生态的影响研究,蚯蚓在土壤重金属污染修复中的作用机制,蚯蚓与植物、微生物的协同作用,以及蚯蚓粪作为重金属污染修复剂的潜力分析等.在此基础上,概括提出了蚯蚓在重金属污染土壤修复领域面临的主要问题.     

Earthworm channels in cultivated clayey and loamy Norwegian soils

Studies of earthworm species and their activity, expressed as channels, on cultivated loamy (Humic Cryaquept) and clayey soils (Typic Endoaqualf and Typic Cryaquept) were conducted in southern and central Norway before conversion from conventional to organic cropping systems. At all the three study areas: Landvik (Grimstad), Voll (Ås) and Kvithamar (Stjørdal), the earthworm species Aporrectodea caliginosa, Aporrectodea rosea, Allolobophora chlorotica and Lumbricus rubellus were found. At Landvik, where the deep-burrowing species Aporrectodea longa, A. caliginosa and Lumbricus terrestris dominated, medium (4–6 mm) and coarse (>6 mm) earthworm channels were most numerous below the plough layer. Almost no coarse pores were found at Voll and Kvithamar. The volume of earthworm channels below the plough layer was 0.6–0.8% of total soil volume at Landvik and Voll and 0.3–0.4% at Kvithamar. Earthworm channels >6 mm below the plough layer were useful to identify present and previous activity of deep-burrowing earthworms such as L. terrestris. Below the plough layer, roots were almost entirely restricted to earthworm channels and interaggregate spaces.     

多样生物污水净化系统研究及其应用

传统的污水生物处理方法经过近100年的应用和技术改进，其工艺和设备日臻完善，但仍存在投资大、能耗高、管理复杂等特点。多样生物污水净化系统是按照食物链代谢规律，设置微生物-植物-水生动物3个处理单元，污水中的有机物作为微生物的食料在第1单元被厌氧微生物消化降解成CO2、H2O、NH^ 4、CH4和PO^3-4等，除CH4作为生物能源可回收利用外，其他物质都是植物的营养物质，在第2单元被藻类等多种植物吸收，通过光合作用合成植物细胞，并释放O2。在第1、第2单元增殖的过量细胞和藻类成为水生动物的食料，在第3单元被浮游动物和鱼类捕食并转化成动物蛋白。污水中有机物在3个单元组成的生态净化系统中被多样生物逐级利用，最终转化成植物细胞和动物蛋白，使污水得到净化三级处理水平，不产生二次污染，是对环境安全的污水处理新技术之一，成为21世纪的新科技。该污水净化系统通过达到自我调控生态平衡，具有工艺流程简单、投资省、运行费用低、管理简便等优点，适合我国国情且应用前景前景广阔，尤其适用于小城镇污水处理。     

Earthworm burrowing in laboratory microcosms as influenced by soil temperature and moisture

Earthworm burrows contribute to soil macroporosity and support diverse microbial communities. It is not well known how fluctuations in soil temperature and moisture affect the burrowing activities of earthworms. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the maximum depth and length of burrows created by the endogeic earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny) and the anecic earthworm Lumbricus terrestris L. for a range of temperatures (5–20 °C) and soil water potentials (−5 and −11 kPa). The laboratory microcosm was a plexiglass chamber (45 cm high, 45 cm wide) containing 0.14 m² of pre-moistened soil and litter, designed to house a single earthworm for 7 days. Earthworm mass, surface casting and burrowing activities were affected significantly by soil temperature, moisture and the temperature×moisture interaction. Burrow length and maximum burrow depth increased with increasing temperature, but there was less burrowing in wetter soil (−5 kPa) than drier soil (−11 kPa). Weight gain and surface casting, however, were greater in soil at −5 kPa than −11 kPa. Our results suggest more intensive feeding and limited burrowing in wetter soil than drier soil. Earthworms inhabiting the non-compacted, drier soil may have pushed aside particles without ingesting them to create burrows. The result was that earthworms explored a larger volume of soil, deeper in the chamber, when the soil was drier. How these burrowing activities may affect the community structure and activity of soil microorganisms and microfauna in the drilosphere remains to be determined.     

Longevity of soil water repellency in a former wastewater disposal tree stand and potential amelioration

Previous studies have shown that long-term irrigation with wastewater can lead to the development of soil water repellency. Little is known about the longevity of this effect. Here we address this research gap by examining the effect of long-term (~ 20 years) use of low-quality wastewater for disposal purposes, followed by 6 years of ‘recovery’ with no irrigation, on the wettability of calcareous sandy soil (Xerofluvent) under a Populus alba tree stand used as a “green filter” in SE Spain. Water repellency (WR) and soil organic matter content (SOM) were determined for 120 air-dry samples from the plot and 80 control samples from adjacent and otherwise similar non-irrigated areas. To account for plot micro-topography 40 samples each were taken from ridges (R; 0-5 cm depth), furrows (F; 0-5 cm), and furrows at depth (FD; 5-10 cm). The controls included 40 samples each (0-5 cm depth) from unvegetated and unploughed soil, and from soil under the P. alba plantation.All control samples were non-repellent whereas at the irrigated plot, water repellency was present for 48, 95 and 93% of ridge, furrow and furrow-depth samples respectively. WR and SOM was strongly correlated within the whole sample population (R² = 0.623**) and within two sample groups (R: R² = 0.783**; FD: R² = 0.424**), but weakly within F samples (R² = 0.072 n.s.). The latter showed the highest frequency and persistence (WDPT) of WR, indicating that not only quantity of SOM is controlling WR. Exploratory kaolinite clay additions (0.5-8%) to samples substantially reduced WR even at the lowest concentration, indicating that this could be a promising amelioration treatment for the WR in the soils investigated here.We conclude that for the conditions studied here (i) long-term use with poor-quality wastewater for disposal had led to the development of soil WR, (ii) a 6-year period of ‘recovery’ (i.e. non-irrigation) was insufficient to eliminate the induced WR, and (iii) kaolinite addition could be a promising amelioration treatment for these sandy soils.     

生物渗滤床处理养殖废水的技术经济性研究

该试验研究了生物渗滤床对养殖废水的处理效果,同时对生物渗滤床与常规好氧生物方法处理养殖废水的技术经济参数进行对比分析。结果显示,生物渗滤床对养殖废水具有很好的处理效果,出水COD平均浓度120mg／L,明显优于畜禽养殖业污染物排放标准的指标要求(COD≤400mg／L);可实现全自动控制、基建投资费用可节省45％、运行能耗可节省86％,吨水处理费用仅为0．22元。技术经济分析结果表明。生物渗滤床是一种高效、稳定、低成本的养殖废水处理新技术,完全能够取代常规好氧生物处理方法。     

生物渗滤床处理养殖废水的技术经济性研究

该试验研究了生物渗滤床对养殖废水的处理效果，同时对生物渗滤床与常规好氧生物方法处理养殖废水的技术经济参数进行对比分析。结果显示，生物渗滤床对养殖废水具有很好的处理效果，出水COD平均浓度120mg／L，明显优于畜禽养殖业污染物排放标准的指标要求(COD≤400mg／L)；可实现全自动控制、基建投资费用可节省45％、运行能耗可节省86％，吨水处理费用仅为0.22元。技术经济分析结果表明，生物渗滤床是一种高效、稳定、低成本的养殖废水处理新技术，完全能够取代常规好氧生物处理方法。     

Earthworm populations in a northern U.S. Cornbelt soil are not affected by long-term cultivation of Bt maize expressing Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 proteins

Earthworms, which play a key role in biogeochemical processes in soil ecosystems, could be negatively affected by the cultivation of transgenic Bt crops. Studies to date have found few effects of Bt maize on earthworm species. If adverse effects occur, they are likely to be chronic or sub-lethal and expressed over large spatial and temporal scales. Our objective in the present study was to investigate potential effects on earthworm populations in soil cultivated with Bt maize in a large multiple-year field study. We surveyed the earthworm populations in 0.16-ha experimental field plots of two varieties of Cry1Ab Bt maize, one variety of Cry3Bb1 Bt maize, and three non-transgenic control varieties cultivated for four years. Four earthworm species were found in our sample: Aporrectodea caliginosa, Aporrectodea trapezoides, Aporrectodea tuberculata (collectively, the A. caliginosa species complex), and Lumbricus terrestris. We found no significant differences in the biomass of juveniles and adults for all four species between Bt and non-Bt maize varieties. From this and previous studies, we conclude that the effects of Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 Bt maize on the A. caliginosa species complex and L. terrestris are small. Nonetheless, general conclusions about the effects of Bt maize on earthworm populations are not warranted due to the small number of species tested. In future laboratory studies, earthworm species should be selected according to their association with a Bt crop and the impact of that species to valued soil ecosystem processes.     

Comparisons of earthworm populations and cast properties in conventional and organic arable rotations

Abstract. Earthworms influence a wide range of soil properties. They are affected by practices that perturb the soil or change organic inputs. This study compared populations in UK organic and conventional rotations differing in such practices. Three farm pairs, ranging from stockless to arable-grassland systems, were sampled on three occasions in each of two crop years. Additional farm pairs were sampled on a single occasion. Nine common earthworm species were grouped into three classes based on the depth ranges from which they were recovered. Cast and soil samples were taken from leys to compare aggregate stability, organic and nutrient content, and microbial biomass.   For similar rotation stages, populations of surface and shallow species classes were often larger in organic systems. In some comparisons the reverse was the case, particularly as the proportion of ley within each pair increased. System differences in biomass, but not abundance, could be attributed to the proportion of leys in rotations; individual earthworm weights were larger in conventional systems. Casts from both systems had markedly higher organic contents, stability, available P and K concentrations, and microbial biomass than underlying soil. This trend was more pronounced in conventional sites for nutrients and microbial biomass. Differences in populations and cast properties may have implications for soil fertility and wider ecosystem function.     

Earthworm response to 10 weeks of incubation in a pot with acid mine spoil,sewage sludge,and lime

Applications of sewage sludge and lime have been used to restore some of the nearly 1.0 million ha of unreclaimed acid mine spoils in the United States. Earthworms might also aid in the reconstruction of mine spoils, but the earthworm response to mine spoils and sludge has not been widely studied. The objective of the present study was to examine growth of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris in pots containing acidmine spoils, sewage sludge, and lime, and the growth of two common reclamation grasses, timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), to the addition of earthworms. After 10 weeks, earthworms growing in the mine spoil treated with sewage sludge showed an increase in mean specific mass of 26.9% and in projected specific area of 24.5%. In contrast, earthworms growing on mine spoils without sludge decreased in mass by an average of 39.6% and in area by 21.0%. Soil pH influenced earthworm area, but not mass: earthworms growing on mine spoils (with or without sludge) showed an increase in mean surface area of 2.9% at pH 5.3 and a decrease of 11.2% at pH 6.5. The presence of earthworms significantly increased the belowground production of plant roots, but had no effect on either soil bulk density or above-ground production of plant biomass. The addition of earthworms to acid mine spoils treated with sewage sludge and lime might aid in the redevelopment of soil quality and biological diversity.     

Effects of pasture improvement and intensive cultivation on microbial biomass,enzyme activities,and composition and size of earthworm populations

We investigated the quantity and distribution of organic C, microbial biomass C, protease, arylsulphatase and arylphosphatase activity, and earthworm numbers and biomass in the soil from a 37-year-old grazed pasture supplied with superphosphate at rates of 0, 188, and 376 kg ha^-1 annually. The results were compared with a non-irrigated wilderness site which had not been used for agriculture and an arable site that had been intensively cultivated for 11 consecutive years. In the 0- to 5-cm layer, organic C followed the trend arableAporrectodea caliginosa (77–89% of total numbers) although Lumbricus rubellus made an increasing contribution to the population with increasing superphosphate rates. In the unirrigated wilderness site the population consisted of 56% A. caliginosa and 44% L. rubellus. While Octolasion cyaneum and A. rosea made up a small proportion of the population in the improved pasture sites, they were not present in the wilderness or arable sites. A. caliginosa was the only species present in the arable site. The mean fresh weight of individuals followed the order arable相似文献   

Effects of earthworms on decomposition and metal availability in contaminated soil: Microcosm studies of populations with different exposure histories

Population-specific differences in the responses of earthworms to simultaneous exposure to Cu and Zn were studied in microcosm experiments. Two populations of Aporrectodea caliginosa tuberculata (Eisen) with different metal exposure histories were chosen for the studies. Microcosms were prepared containing either uncontaminated soil or soils with low or high combined Cu/Zn -concentrations (79/139 or 178/311 mg kg⁻¹ dry mass of soil, respectively). Earthworms from each population were introduced to the microcosm treatments with some microcosms serving as controls without earthworms. One series of microcosms was destructively sampled after 16 weeks incubation in a climate chamber. Survival, growth, reproduction and decomposition by earthworms in each treatment were measured. An additional microcosm series was sampled for soil and earthworm measurements at four weeks intervals to determine temporal changes in the availability of metals in the soils and their accumulation into earthworms. Cu and Zn were sequentially extracted from the soil samples of both microcosm series to estimate mobility and availability of the metals in the soil. Earthworms with long-term exposure history to metal-contaminated soil seemed to tolerate higher soil metal concentrations than earthworms without earlier exposure. Both earthworms and metals affected soil respiration (CO₂ production) and nitrogen mineralization. In addition, earthworms seemed to decrease the mobility and bioavailability of metals in the soil through their burrowing activity.