Metal concentrations in soil and invertebrates in the vicinity of a metallurgical factory near Tula (Russia)

To investigate the effects of emissions from a large metal works near Tula in the Russian Federation, we measured concentrations of iron, manganese, zinc, copper, nickel, lead and cadmium in soil, litter and invertebrates at four sampling sites at different distances from the factory. The sites were located in woodlands in the bed of the Voronka river, near the town of Kosaya Gora in the district of Tula. Additional soil properties (organic matter content, clay content, water holding capacity, Ca, Mg, N, P, and pH) were measured that could explain differences in the bioavailability of the metal burdens. It appeared that the factory is a source of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni and Pb. One of the sampling sites had a high nitrogen content in the litter due to emissions from a fertilizer plant in the area. Most of the metal contamination was limited to the immediate surroundings and did not extend beyond a distance of 5 km. Only the site close to the factory can be considered as polluted, however, background concentrations of metals in the Tula area seem to be significantly lower than in present Western European soils and a reference system still has to be developed. Exchangeable metal concentrations (0.01 M CaCl₂ extracts from soil) were very low and were not correlated with the total concentrations, indicating low bioavailability of the pollution. At the most polluted site, concentrations of all metals were positively correlated with each other; correlations decreased with increasing distance. Metal concentrations in soil were often negatively correlated with organic matter content, especially so for nickel. Metal concentrations in invertebrates showed considerable variation between individual species, however, some general patterns were obvious. Concentrations were high in earthworms, oribatid mites and carabid beetles, and low in springtails, centipedes and spiders. There was no relationship between the trophic position of a species and its metal accumulating ability. Iron concentrations in invertebrates at the polluted site were a factor of 2 to 4 higher than at the most remote (reference) site; for zinc and copper the internal concentrations were also elevated, but to a lesser extent than the soil concentrations. The data illustrate the extremely complicated relationship between metal residues in invertebrates and metal concentrations in soil. For most of the saprophageous and predatory arthropods studied total concentrations nor exchangeable concentrations in soil are good predictors; species-specific feeding mechanisms and metal physiologies seem to be the main determinants.     

Effect of earthworm cast formation on the stabilization of organic matter in fine soil fractions

To study the effects of earthworm casting on organic matter dynamics, control soil and casts were added as a surface layer (Horizon I) to perspex cylinders containing a ‘base’ soil depleted in organic C (Horizon II). Three treatments with different Horizon I were used; a control containing uningested soil and oak litter (Quercus petraea (Mattuschka) Lieblein), cast derived from the same substrates, and a third (Ew+cast) where cast as well as endogeic (Aporrectodea caliginosa Savigny, Allolobophora chlorotica Savigny) and anecic (Lumbricus terrestris L.) earthworms were included. These were monitored over a 2 year period. Moisture fluctuations were reduced and higher amounts of organic matter and C were present in Horizon I with the cast treatment after 2 years. In addition, the proportion of clay C (and to a lesser extent light fraction) in Horizon I decreased significantly in the control and cast treatments while there was a corresponding increase in the proportions of silt C. Overall, earthworm activity had a limited effect on C distribution in the particle size fractions studied, though the dynamics of organic matter/particle associations may require more than 2 years before clear patterns emerge.     

Influence of soil pH on the toxicity of aluminium for Eisenia andrei (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) in an artificial soil substrate

Toxicity of aluminium for the earthworm Eisenia andrei was studied in artificial soil at different pH levels. In a range-finding test, effects of three different aluminium salts on earthworm survival were determined. AlCl₃ appeared to be most toxic, with LC₅₀ values of 316, 359 and >1000 mg Al/kg dry soil at pH_KCl of 3.5, 4.4 and 6.7, respectively in the control soils. Effects of this salt interfered with a strong decrease of soil pH with increasing aluminium concentration. Al₂(SO₄)₃ was less toxic with LC₅₀ values of 457, >4000 and >4000 mg Al/kg dry soil at pH 3.24, 4.86 and 7.22, respectively. Al₂O₃ did not affect earthworm survival at concentrations of 5000 mg Al/kg and pH levels between 2.4 and 7.1.In the main test, earthworms were exposed for 6 weeks to soils treated with Al₂(SO₄)₃. As in the range-finding test, aluminium sulfate was most toxic at a pH of 3.4 with an LC₅₀ of 589 mg Al/kg dry soil. At this pH, growth and cocoon production of earthworms were significantly reduced at 320 mg Al/kg dry soil, while at 1000 mg Al/kg dry soil all earthworms died. Survival was not affected by 1000 mg Al/kg dry soil at pH 4.3 and 7.3. At pH 4.3, growth was significantly reduced at 1000 mg Al/kg dry soil and cocoon production at 320 and 1000 mg Al/kg dry soil. At pH 7.3, aluminium only affected cocoon production at the two highest exposure levels. At the highest two exposure levels at pH 7.3, growth was significantly increased, suggesting a trade-off between growth and reproduction. These effects of aluminium at the highest soil pH could not be explained from the concentration of extractable, monomeric (labile) aluminium in soil, which decreased with increasing soil pH.     

Exotic earthworms alter soil microbial community composition and function

Exotic earthworms can profoundly alter soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics in northern temperate forests, but the mechanisms explaining these responses are not well understood. We compared the soil microbial community (SMC) composition (measured as PLFAs) and enzyme activity between paired earthworm-invaded and earthworm-free plots in northern hardwood forests of New York, USA. We hypothesized that differences in SMCs and enzyme activity between plots would correspond with differences in soil C content and C:N ratios. Relative abundance of several bacterial (mostly gram-positive) PLFAs was higher and that of two fungal PLFAs was lower in earthworm compared to reference plots, largely because of earthworm incorporation of the organic horizon into mineral soil. In surface mineral soil earthworms increased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and gram-positive bacterial PLFAs, and decreased fungal (mostly saprotrophic) and several bacterial (gram-negative and non-specific) PLFAs. Earthworms also increased the activities of cellulolytic relative to lignolytic enzymes in surface mineral soil, and the relationships between enzyme activities and components of the SMC suggest a substrate-mediated effect on the SMC and its metabolism of C. A highly significant relationship between components of the SMC and soil C:N also suggests that earthworms reduce soil C:N through functional and compositional shifts in the SMC. Finally, changes in AMF abundances were linked to phosphatase activity, suggesting that earthworms do not necessarily inhibit P-acquisition by AMF-associated plants in our study system. We conclude that the combined influence of earthworm-related changes in physical structure, accessibility and chemistry of organic matter, and relative abundance of certain groups of fungi and bacteria promote C metabolism, in particular by increasing the activities of cellulolytic vs. lignolytic enzymes.     

Spatial distribution of earthworm species assemblages in a chalky slope of the Seine Valley (Normandy, France)

The aim of this study was to characterize the spatial distribution of earthworm species assemblages on a chalky slope of the Seine Valley (Upper Normandy, France), with contrasting vegetation cover representing the different stages of a typical post-pastoral secondary succession. Samples were hand sorted in a spatially explicit design consisting of a regular grid. A Principal Component Analysis was performed to identify species associations. Maps of the factorial coordinates of sample points together with geostatistical analysis were used to describe the spatial structure of the assemblages. The first axis of the PCA opposed points with high density to others with low. The resulting spatial structure was significant. The second axis opposed points where species assemblages were dominated either by an endogeic (Allolobophora chlorotica), an anecic (Aporrectodea longa) and an epigeic species (Lumbricus castaneus) to others dominated by two endogeics (Aporrectodea rosea and Octolasium cyaneum). A significant spatial structure was detected, with alternating patches characterised by one species assemblage or the other. The location of these structures did not seem to be clearly associated with a specific vegetation type. These results  revealed a complex determinism of species co-occurrence at small spatial scale.     

蚯蚓对农村有机生活垃圾分解处理的研究

本文以农村有机生活垃圾为研究对象,根据蚯蚓的生活习性设计了4个不同组分的试验基质,这些基质的主要成分为厨余垃圾,辅料为猪粪、牛粪和土壤。本试验引进大平二号赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia foetida)在室内进行盆养试验,同时以未放养蚯蚓处理的试验基质作为对照,培养周期为5周。研究表明,蚯蚓分解新鲜有机生活垃圾的效果最好,其生物降解率达到75.688%,该试样中蚯蚓日增重倍数和日增值倍数也最大。经蚯蚓处理后的各基质肥效都有所增加,试验样基质中有机碳、氮磷含量相对于对照样都有所升高,试验样中碱解氮含量是对照样的3倍左右。新鲜有机生活垃圾基质C/N比最大,其速效磷含量也为最大值。同时,蚯蚓还对各基质的重金属有富集作用,其富集效果都在48%左右。各组之间的试验结果大多存在显著性差异(P<0.05)。