Assessment of earthworms activity based on eaten biomass from selected catch crops

Abstract

The trophic activity of soil mesofauna, especially earthworms (the Lumbricidae family), is a key element in increasing the fertility of agroecosystems. Thee food strategies that earthworms use as part of the trophic networks in soil, and especially their food preferences, are still unknown. Much is known about what is the food substrate of earthworms, but the food preferences of individual species, as well as the possibilities and dynamics of food processing are not fully understood. The aim of the experiment was to observe the amount and dynamics of food uptake by the earthworms of the species Lumbricus terrestris L., which is a common species of soil Oligochaeta in agricultural areas, as well as to propose a new decomposition rate measuring the strength of the earthworm population and its contribution to the mechanism of processing plant organic matter.

The Change of pH Value and Octolasion cyaneum Savigny Earthworms’ Activity under Stubble Crops after Spring Triticale Continuous Cultivation

“…With regard to this issue, a few studies were performed. The vast majority of studies were carried out in laboratory [25,26]. Kliszcz and Puła [26] studied the ratio of food intake per 24 h to the average weight of the L. terrestris L. individuals, and the results revealed white mustard and buckwheat were more preferable (0.24 and 0.27, respectively) plants than tansy phacelia (0.14).…”