Microbial communities of Lumbricus terrestris L. middens: structure, activity, and changes through time in relation to earthworm presence |
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Authors: | Manuel Aira Niall P McNamara Trevor G Piearce Jorge Domínguez |
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Institution: | (1) Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade de Vigo, E-36310 Vigo, Spain;(2) Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, LA1 AP, UK;(3) Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK |
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Abstract: | Background, aim, and scope Earthworms make a major contribution to decomposition in ecosystems where they are present, mainly acting in the drilosphere,
that is, galleries, burrows, casts, and middens. Earthworm middens are hot-spots of microbial activity and nutrient dynamics
and represent a suitable model for studying earthworm-mediated influences on soil microbial communities by alteration of the
patch structure of the microbial environment. We studied the structure and activity of the microbial communities in the soil
system formed by middens of Lumbricus terrestris and the soil below and surrounding them and the role of earthworms in maintaining these structures through time.
Material and methods We set up an experiment in which middens were either left (control) or removed from their original place (translocated) and
left in a nearby area free of earthworm activity for 2 months. After 1 and 2 months we sampled middens, soil below them, and
surrounding soil. We analyzed the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles and measured respiratory fluxes of CO2 and CH4.
Results Microbial communities of middens clearly differed from those of soil below and surrounding soil samples, showing higher bacterial
and fungal PLFAs (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.01, respectively); furthermore, changes in microbial communities were stronger in control middens than in translocated
middens. Moreover, gram positive and negative bacterial PLFAs were greater in translocated than control middens (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.001, respectively), as well as total organic carbon (p < 0.001). Microbial activity was higher in middens than in soil below and surrounding soil samples both for CO2 (p < 0.0001) and CH4 (p < 0.0001).
Discussion Soil bioturbation by the earthworm L. terrestris was strong in their middens, but there was not any effect on soil below and surrounding soil. Microbial communities of middens
maintain their biomass and activity when earthworms were not present, whereas they decreased their biomass and increased their
activity when earthworms were present.
Conclusions Earthworms strongly enhanced microbial activity measured as CO2 production in middens, which indicates that there are hot spots for soil microbial dynamics and increasing habitat heterogeneity
for soil microorganisms. Moreover, our data strongly support the fact that the impact of this earthworm species in this soil
is restricted to their middens and increasing soil heterogeneity.
Recommendations and perspectives Our data indicate that it is not clear if earthworms enhance or depress microbial communities of middens since the microbial
activity increased, but did not modify their biomass and this was not dependent on soil organic C content. These results indicate
no competence for C pools between this anecic earthworm and microorganisms, which has been found for other earthworm species,
mainly endogeics. Conversely, they suggest some type of facilitation due to the release of additional nutrient pools in middens
when earthworms are present, through the digestion of middens' material or the addition of casts produced from other food
sources. |
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Keywords: | Anecic earthworms Lumbricidae Methane consumption Microbial respiration Microbial transfer |
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