Inability of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) to identify belowground earthworm casts in no-tillage soil

Several studies have emphasised the ability of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) to identify surface earthworm casts in the field. However, less is known about casts deposited within the soil, which usually represent the majority found in the field. This study tested the ability of NIRS to identify belowground casts in agricultural systems. Casts and surrounding soils were sampled at depths of 20–30 cm in a loamy soil under no tillage for 12 years. To distinguish different types of cast, sizes and orientations relative to the horizontal plane were measured. NIRS analyses and analyses of carbon and nitrogen content were also performed to compare casts to surrounding soils. Casts were classified into 4 size classes, with no preferential orientation. Cast carbon and nitrogen content were not influenced by their size and did not differ from surrounding soils. PCAs performed on the NIRS data did not allow casts to be differentiated from surrounding soils, regardless of size class. However, soil aggregates were clearly differentiated probably due to their spatial distribution in the soil. Although this study did not identify specific NIRS signatures for casts, it shows the utility of this method to investigate the origin of the soil consumed by earthworms. In our case, NIRS analyses suggest that the high bulk density of the soil (1.42 g cm⁻³) forced ingestion by endogeic earthworms, simply to move around, without preferential selection for organic matter. Consequently, their casts were deposited a few mm from where they had ingested soil with similar organic matter quality.     

Utilization of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to quantify the impact of earthworms on soil and carbon erosion in steep slope ecosystem: A study case in Northern Vietnam

This work focuses on a new approach to quantify the effects of above-ground earthworm's activity on soil erosion in steep slope ecosystems such as in Northern Vietnam. In these areas and in many others in the world, soil erosion becomes a major issue while the factors that determine it are still misunderstood. Earthworm's activity is believed to influence soil erosion rate, but we are still unable to precisely quantify their contribution to soil erosion. In this study, we used Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) to quantify the proportion of soil aggregate in eroded soil coming from earthworm activity. This was done by generating NIRS signatures corresponding to different soil surface aggregates (above-ground soil casts produced by earthworms vs. surrounding topsoil).     

氯化镉、马拉硫磷和乙草胺对赤子爱胜蚓的复合急性毒性

以赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia fetida)为试验动物, 选取氯化镉、马拉硫磷和乙草胺作为污染物, 通过人工土壤法研究了3种污染物在5种比例两种污染物复合条件下对蚯蚓的急性毒性。研究结果表明, 3种污染物在两两复合污染时的作用类型以拮抗为主, 仅在镉浓度19.46 mg·kg^-1和乙草胺175.15 mg·kg^-1 (1︰9)复合类型是相加作用, 说明复合污染生态毒理效应与污染物的化学性质和浓度水平均相关。从蚯蚓活体体重减少情况看, 在复合污染条件下, 污染物对蚯蚓生长的影响与单一污染的结果类似, 马拉硫磷对赤子爱胜蚓的影响最大, 乙草胺次之, 而氯化镉的影响最小。     

Field investigations of Lumbricus terrestris spatial distribution and dispersal through monitoring of manipulated, enclosed plots

A field experiment in managed woodland was set up to examine the effects of manipulated population density and resource availability on spatial distribution and dispersal of the anecic earthworm Lumbricus terrestris. Experiments over 2 years, made use of 1 m² field enclosures with associated trapping units to assess emigration rates at control and enhanced L. terrestris densities and different levels of leaf litter availability. Densities were manipulated twice; at the outset and again after 1 year when visually tagged animals obtained from 2 origins were introduced. Population density had a significant effect on dispersal (p < 0.01, p < 0.05 in Year 1 and Year 2 respectively) with more captures (pro rata) at the higher density compared with controls over the experimental period. Food availability only had a significant effect during the initial week of the experiment. L. terrestris midden arrangement was found to be regular across 1 m² plots and regularity increased with an increase in midden number. Mean (±S.E.) midden number was 30.34 ± 0.77 m⁻² and 28.06 ± 0.5 m⁻², during the first and second year of the experiment respectively and this was unaffected by additions. Inter-midden distance was recorded at 0.13 ± 0.0014 m. Results suggest that L. terrestris dispersal can be affected by population density and resource availability.     

Life cycle and reproductive traits of the earthworm Aporrectodea trapezoides (Dugès, 1828) in laboratory cultures

The parthenogenetic earthworm Aporrectodea trapezoides (Dugès, 1828) is widely distributed all over the world due to European agricultural practices. In order to provide baseline life cycle data, cocoons were obtained from field-collected individuals and their features and viability, incubation period, number of hatchlings and mortality rate were recorded. Singleton and twin earthworms from this first experiment were cultured from hatching during a 490-day period under controlled conditions with biomass, survival, reproductive condition and cocoon production recorded at intervals of 15 days. On average, individuals of isolated-reared A. trapezoides reached maturity at day 153 and body weight at maturity was approximately 1 g. In order to record reproductive traits and differences between field-collected and laboratory-reared individuals, 40 microcosms with an isolated earthworm (20 with field-collected individuals and 20 with laboratory-reared ones) and 40 containing groups of three (20 with each type of individual) were maintained during a complete year under controlled conditions. The amount of soil per individual was the same in both types of microcosm. Both the individuals kept in isolation and those cultured in groups produced cocoons, hence completely proving the obligatory parthenogenetic reproduction in this species without copulation or need of any physical-chemical stimulus. In general, isolated earthworms produced a significantly higher number of cocoons than those in groups of three, and the same was recorded for laboratory-reared earthworms when compared with field-collected ones. This study highlights the importance of knowing the life cycle and reproductive traits of one possible key species in soil management due to its vast distribution and high density in soils, and the species’ highly recommended use in applied studies because of its ease of culture.     

Rainfall effects on erosion of earthworm casts and phosphorus transfers by water runoff

 We investigated whether, under a temperate climate and in a maize crop, earthworm casts could contribute to soil erosion and further favour the exportation of phosphorus by runoff waters. Recording of casts was made in compacted (wheel-tracks) and non-compacted inter-rows, for a 2-month period in spring. To assess the rainfall impact on cast evolution, half of the observation sites were protected against rain splash by a nylon mesh placed above the soil surface. The water runoff was collected and analysed for sediment contents and phosphorus concentration. The mean annual production of surface casts was calculated to be 34 kg (dry weight) year^–1 kg^–1 earthworm (fresh weight). Synchronization between cast erosion and rainfall events was shown under natural conditions (unprotected sites). The erosion rate was 4 times greater over rainy periods than dry ones, reaching 80% of cast numbers. It appeared that not the runoff effect but the splash effect, due to the kinetics of the drops, disrupted casts. Newly formed casts disappeared first, with the erosion rate decreasing twofold for casts more than 10 days old. Cast erosion and runoff, as well as worm casting activity, were greater under compacted sites than under non-compacted sites, indicating an influence of earthworms on soil erosion from compacted soils. The total phosphorus content was similar in casts and uningested soil (0.80 mg phosphorus g^–1). Potential phosphorus losses from cast erosion was calculated to reach 25–49 mg phosphorus m^–2 per rainfall event depending on soil compaction. The amounts of particulate phosphorus recovered in water runoff after each rainfall event varied from 1 mg to 11 mg phosphorus. These results are compared and discussed. Received: 20 October 1998     

生物耕作对土壤理化特性、酶活性及青花菜生长和品质的影响

通过田间试验,研究生物耕作(接种蚯蚓)对土壤理化性质、酶活性及青花菜生长和产量品质的影响。试验设置了传统机械旋耕(CK)、免耕(T1)以及生物耕作(T2)3个处理。研究结果表明:(1)生物耕作能有效提高耕层不同部位的土壤养分含量和含水量,其中尤以5～20 cm土层较为明显,生物耕作处理土壤有机质、全氮、有效磷含量以及含水量依次比传统机械旋耕(CK)增长58.33%、68.93%、67.06%和16.19%;与传统机械旋耕(CK)相比,生物耕作处理大大提升了土壤过氧化氢酶、脲酶以及蔗糖酶的活性,其中脲酶、蔗糖酶与CK之间差异显著(P<0.05)。(2)生物耕作处理下青花菜的株高、开展度、叶长、叶宽等指标与CK和T1之间差异显著(P<0.05);各处理间青花菜的叶绿素相对含量差异不大,生物耕作处理增强了青花菜在各生长期的净光合速率。(3)生物耕作处理大幅提高了青花菜品质,生物耕作处理下的青花菜Vc含量是CK的1.2倍,硫代葡萄糖苷含量分别比T1处理和CK高1.05 mol·g-1和3.29 mol·g-1,差异均达到显著水平;各处理间可溶性糖含量差异不显著。因此,在传统的农业生态系统中,培育土壤有益动物的生物数量(生物耕作)可提高土壤养分和酶活性,对改善农田土壤肥力有着重要意义。     

Food quality affects production of Lumbricus terrestris (L.) under controlled environmental conditions

Birch leaves and horse manure were used to determine the effects of food quality on growth and reproduction of laboratory-reared Lumbricus terrestris. Animals grew to maturity within 6 months but attained a significantly (p < 0.001) larger adult size with manure (6.17 g) versus leaves (4.20 g). Cocoon production by recently-mated adults maintained in isolation, fed with birch leaves or horse manure, resulted in 4.53 and 3.84 cocoons ind.⁻¹ month⁻¹ respectively, with an initial hatchability of 86%, falling to zero after 18 months. Re-mating of these known individuals permitted long term monitoring of reproductive output (to 30 months). For the whole experimental period, overall hatchability of the 2010 cocoons produced was 44.4%. Median incubation time of those cocoons that hatched within accepted norms (less than 5 months at 15 °C) was 103 days and was not influenced by adult food type. A proportion (35.5%) of cocoons took in excess of 12 months to hatch. Adult mortality was minimal (25%) during the long term experiment but abnormal cocoon production was recorded after 2 years. Overall results demonstrate that food quality can have a significant influence on somatic and reproductive production of L. terrestris and these data may aid construction of production models for this earthworm in ecosystems with contrasting food quality.     

Reproduction of the African earthworm,Eudrilus eugeniae (Oligochaeta) — cocoons

Summary Although various authors have contributed to our knowledge of the biology of Eudrilus eugeniae some basic facts about the life cycle and reproduction are still not fully documented. Quantitative observations were made of the cocoons at 25 °C in different substrates. The incubation period for 166 cocoons was 16.89 days, based on cocoons produced by worms between the ages of 70 and 100 days. These cocoons produced a mean 2.12 hatchlings per cocoon after incubation in cattle manure, moist filter paper and distilled water. A smaller batch of cocoons incubated in cattle manure produced a mean of 2.7 hatchlings per cocoon. The hatching success of the cocoons was 84% in cattle manure, 50% in distilled water, and 48% on moist filter paper. The reproductive capabilities of E. eugeniae and Eisenia fetida were compared.