Reconstructing mole tunnels using frequency-domain ground penetrating radar

The European mole (Talpa europaea L.) inhabits an underground tunnel system whereby the density, extent and condition of the subsurface tunnels are indicative of its activity. Currently, no survey method was able to reveal the spatial extent and condition of the mole's tunnel network. Frequency-domain ground penetrating radar (GPR) was evaluated on its potential to image these shallow tunnel systems. This technique allows for a non-invasive, high-resolution mapping of the subsurface. We examined the effectiveness of this GPR system for delineating the mole's tunnel network. The integration of different depth slices allowed a detailed overview of the tunnel system. Automatic feature recognition on these GPR images was proven valuable for the detection and representation of the mole tunnels. The GPR survey proved successful in mapping the mole's tunnel network, which facilitates the interpretation and characterization of the mole's living environment. This can be linked to the occurrence of earthworms, as the principle food source of the moles, which regulate important ecosystem processes within the soil. This offers new perspectives for the understanding of the mole's habitat.     

蚯蚓的化学成分与应用价值研究进展

综述了蚯蚓的化学成分及应用价值,旨在为蚯蚓的综合开发利用提供依据。     

Ecological implications of motor oil pollution: Earthworm survival and soil health

The nontarget effects of fresh and used motor oil were studied in a soil test system involving such criteria as earthworm survival, response of soil dehydrogenase and urease, and nitrification. When earthworms were exposed to motor oil-contaminated soil for 4 weeks, the observed median lethal concentrations (LC₅₀) were 40.33 and 3.88 g kg⁻¹ soil for fresh and used oil, respectively. Only fresh motor oil application increased earthworms' body weight even at the higher dose of 19 g kg⁻¹ soil. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry revealed that used motor oil contained more of aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals than fresh oil. This disparity in the chemical composition might be the factor responsible for the significant toxicity of used motor oil towards earthworms. Activities of soil dehydrogenase and urease were significantly enhanced in presence of both the motor oils, while there was a significant inhibition in nitrification by the used motor oil even at a low concentration of 0.2 g kg⁻¹ soil. This study clearly demonstrated that earthworm survival and nitrification could serve as suitable indices to assess motor oil pollution in soil.     

蚯蚓在现代农牧业中的应用研究

蚯蚓可消除畜禽废弃物公害,可为养殖业提供优质蛋白质原料和治疗多种畜禽疾病,有利于建立农业良性结构,实现农牧结合。因此,以蚯蚓为链条的生态循环农业是促进现代农牧业发展的有效途径。     

蚯蚓粪对柑橘幼苗抗草甘膦胁迫的影响

草甘膦在柑橘园除草中得到大量使用,对农作物生长、果实品质、产量和质量造成影响。如何降低草甘膦对柑橘树的生物可利用性,从而降低其对农作物造成的药害、提高果实品质和食品安全将至关重要。本文在前期研究的基础上通过施用蚯蚓粪,表征蚯蚓粪作用下土壤中残留草甘膦对柑橘幼苗的生物有效性和生物毒性效应。结果显示,蚯蚓粪能够显著增强其生物有效性（BCF值显著增大）;显著降低草甘膦在土壤中的残留量到草甘膦单独处理组的55.15%,从而减少草甘膦在柑橘幼苗植株中的积累。同时,蚯蚓粪的施用能促进植物的茁壮生长,使抗氧化酶活力较对照组显著提高,从而具有更强的抗逆能力。在这两方面的共同作用下,蚯蚓粪显著减轻了土壤中残留草甘膦对柑橘幼苗的胁迫,使其株高、根长和相应的干重较草甘膦单独施用时增长了26.23%-140.11%,甚至成为对照组的1.03倍和1.13倍。此研究对兼顾化肥有机替代的草甘膦污染土壤的修复和高效利用具有重要意义。     

蚯蚓堆肥和蚯蚓发酵液体肥在设施葡萄上应用研究

以设施栽培的‘红地球’葡萄为试验材料,采用单因素完全随机设计,研究了蚯蚓堆肥与蚯蚓发酵液体肥对葡萄叶片光合能力、植株生长情况、土壤状况和果实品质及产量的影响。结果表明：利用蚯蚓堆肥与蚯蚓发酵液体肥,提高叶绿素相对含量与净光合速率11.12%、15.31%,促进葡萄的生长,提高叶片面积、茎粗和新稍生长量7.58%、6.42%、18.86%,开花期促进茎叶磷素的吸收,成熟期促进茎叶钾素的吸收;改善土壤理化性质,降低土壤容重30.43%,显著增加总孔隙度8.63%,增加土壤EC值38.23%,pH值降低8.32%,提高速效氮、磷、钾10.56%、11.11%、12.67%,提升有机质3.15 g?kg-1;活化土壤微生物,提高脲酶、磷酸酶和蔗糖酶66.86%、54.60%、82.03%,细菌、放线菌、真菌数量是对照的3.20倍、0.43倍、3.28倍,提高微生物碳氮14.98%、20.23%,增加可溶性蛋白、Vc、可溶性固形物、糖酸比24.31%、9.74%、5.49%、23.46%,降低可滴定酸13.51%;产量增加了21.73%,并土壤理化性质以及土壤微生物关系密切。     

Correlation between earthworms and plant litter decomposition in a tropical wet forest of Puerto Rico

Earthworms are recognized to play an important role in the decomposition of organic materials. To test the use of earthworms as an indicator of plant litter decomposition, we examined the abundance and biomass of earthworms in relation to plant litter decomposition in a tropical wet forest of Puerto Rico. We collected earthworms at 0–0.1 m and 0.1–0.25 m soil depths from upland and riparian sites that represent the natural variation in soils and decomposition rates within the forest. Earthworms were hand-sorted and weighed for both fresh and dry biomass. Earthworms were dominated by the exotic endogeic species Pontoscolex corethrurus Müller; they were more abundant, and had higher biomasses in the upland than in riparian sites of the forest. Plant leaf litter decomposed faster in the upland than riparian sites. We found that earthworm abundance in the upper 0.1 m of the soil profile positively correlated with decomposition rate of plant leaf litter. Ground litter removal had no effect on the abundance or biomass of endogeic earthworms. Our data suggest that earthworms can be used to predict decomposition rates of plant litter in the tropical wet forest, and that the decomposition of aboveground plant litter has little influence on the abundance and biomass of endogeic earthworms.     

Microbial populations,enzyme activities and nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium enrichment in earthworm casts and in the surrounding soil of a pineapple plantation

Summary Total populations of bacteria and fungi, dehydrogenase activity (as a measure of total potential microbial activity), and urease and phosphatase activities were determined in earthworm casts and surrounding laterite soils planted to pineapple. The casts contained higher microbial populations and enzyme activities than the soil. Except for fungal populations, statistically significant (P = 0.05) increases were found in all other parameters. Microbial populations and enzyme activities showed similar temporal trends with higher values in spring and summer and lower values in winter. The earthworm casts contained higher amounts of N, P, K and organic C than the soil (P = 0.05). Selective feeding by earthworms on organically rich substrates, which break down during passage through the gut, is likely to be responsible for the higher microbial populations and greater enzyme activity in the casts.     

Earthworm populations and growth rates related to long-term crop residue and tillage management

Conventional tillage creates soil physical conditions that may restrict earthworm movement and accelerate crop residue decomposition, thus reducing the food supply for earthworms. These negative impacts may be alleviated by retaining crop residues in agroecosystems. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various tillage and crop residue management practices on earthworm populations in the field and earthworm growth under controlled conditions. Population assessments were conducted at two long-term (15+ years) experimental sites in Québec, Canada with three tillage systems: moldboard plow/disk harrow (CT), chisel plow or disk harrow (RT) and no tillage (NT), as well as two levels of crop residue inputs (high and low). Earthworm growth was assessed in intact soil cores from both sites. In the field, earthworm populations and biomass were greater with long-term NT than CT and RT practices, but not affected by crop residue management. Laboratory growth rates of Aporrectodea turgida (Eisen) in intact soil cores were affected by tillage and residue inputs, and were positively correlated with the soil organic C pool, suggesting that tillage and residue management practices that increase the soil organic C pool provide more organic substrates for earthworm growth. The highest earthworm growth rates were in soils from RT plots with high residue input, which differed from the response of earthworm populations to tillage and residue management treatments in the field. Our results suggest that tillage-induced disturbance probably has a greater impact than food availability on earthworm populations in cool, humid agroecosystems.     

日本横滨市土壤各形态铅和蚯蚓体内铅的含量关系研究

以日本横滨市国道两侧绿地土壤和横滨国立大学校内绿地土壤为研究区,采用连续浸提-ICP法分析了横滨市土壤环境中表层(0～5cm)和5～20cm处的Pb元素的水溶性、离子态、碳酸盐结合态、铁锰氧化物结合态、有机质结合态、和残渣态Pb的含量变化及其与土壤蚯蚓体内Pb含量的关系,结果表明:横滨市土壤表层全Pb含量在76.85～100.05mgkg-1之间,5～20cm土层全Pb含量为40.83～57mgkg-1之间,远高于当地的土壤Pb背景值(17mgkg-1),受到不同程度的污染;并且横滨国立大学校内绿地土壤比国道两侧绿地土壤表层的全Pb含量显著提高,其污染原因有待于进一步研究。蚯蚓体内的Pb含量变化范围在在研究区各采样点中没有显著差异,统计分析结果表明,蚯蚓体内的Pb含量与土壤环境中各形态Pb之间并无线性相关关系。