C to N ratio strongly affects population structure of Eisenia fetida in vermicomposting systems |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University, Assam 784028, India;2. Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India;3. Department of Botany, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India;4. Defence Research Laboratory, DRDO, Tezpur, Assam, India;5. Indian Statistical Institute, North East Centre, Tezpur, Assam 784028, India;1. Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, People’s Republic of China;2. Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing 210014, People’s Republic of China;3. SRUC, Crop and Soil Systems Research Group, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, United Kingdom;1. Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering in Universities of Shandong (University of Jinan), School of Resources and Environment, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China;2. Energy Research Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Key Laboratory for Biomass Gasification Technology of Shandong Province, Jinan 250014, China;1. College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 201306, China;2. Institute of Biofilm Technology, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China |
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| Abstract: | Food quality influences not only the size of earthworm populations but also their growth and reproduction rates. Here we studied the effect of C to N ratio of pig slurry in microbial biomass and activity and in the growth and reproduction of the earthworm Eisenia fetida. We set up a batch of twelve vermireactors, six each for low (11) and high C to N ratio (19) of pig slurry applied; three of each without earthworms (control) and three containing 500 mature earthworms (E. fetida). After 36 weeks C to N ratio significantly affected earthworm numbers (sevenfold greater in high C to N ratio) and population structure. Thus, in the low C to N ratio treatment the population was composed mainly by mature earthworms (60%), with a higher mean weight than in the high C to N treatment. However, in the high C to N ratio treatment, the population was composed mainly by juvenile and hatchling earthworms (70%). A rapid depletion of dissolved organic C (DOC) content was observed in all treatments. Although earthworms produced an increase in microbial biomass and activity in young modules, finally a decrease in older modules was recorded. The decrease in available carbon did not seem to affect the relationships established between earthworms and microflora. |
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