Some effects of scarab beetles in sandy soils of The Netherlands

Samples were taken from sandy soils at six localities in The Netherlands where back-filled burrows of scarab beetles had been observed. Thin sections were prepared and subjected to micromorphometric analysis, using the Quantimet 720. The volume of pores larger than 0.030 mm was up to 38% higher in the back-filled burrows than in the undisturbed matrix, as was the volume of pores larger than 0.195 mm; the latter diameter approximates the critical pore diameter for plant roots in densely packed sandy soils. The suggestion that rooting would be more intensive in the back-filled burrows than in the undisturbed matrix was supported by observations.