Earthworm Burrowing Activity and Its Effects on Soil Hydraulic Properties under Different Soil Moisture Conditions from the Loess Plateau, China

Wen, Shuhai; Shao, Mingan; Wang, Jiao

doi:10.3390/su12219303

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…As demonstrated here, the addition of earthworms limited the conductivity decrease of the filtering media by reducing the clogging rate [46]. By their burrowing activity and burrow network setting, the earthworms increased the permeability of the substrate where pores might have been clogged by suspended or dissolved solids, organic matter, or bacterial biofilms [15,47]. If the experiment was transposed into a real sewage sand filter or CW, the bacterial biofilms and detrital OM would likely be consumed by the earthworms, which, together with the buried galleries, would enhance the macroporosity and consequently the hydraulic conductivity and hence diminish the clogging matter [48,49].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…The burrowing activity of the epigeic lumbricid Eisenia sp. mainly consists of the generation of horizontal burrows at depths ranging between 0 and 10 cm [15]. Endogenic earthworms also create horizontal burrows [52] similar to epigeic ones but at greater depth (between 10 and 30 cm), which also increases the dispersion and retention time of water inside the soil [53,54].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Earthworm species are usually separated into three ecological categories (epigeic, endogenic, and anecic), depending on the type of burrows they make [12,13]. Epigeic species are found in environments that are rich in organic matter and they mainly live between the litter layer and the surface layer of the soil, where they create horizontal burrows in the top 10 cm of the soil [14,15]. Endogenic species mainly create burrows without a preferential orientation with many ramifications mainly between 0 and 20 cm of depth; they rarely come up to the soil surface [7,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Density Effect of Eisenia sp. Epigeic Earthworms on the Hydraulic Conductivity of Sand Filters for Wastewater Treatment

Gilibert

Gérino

Costa³

et al. 2022

Water

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Inside sand filters, as inside other microporous substrates, several invertebrates create temporary burrows that impact on water movement through the filter. Lumbricids Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei live under a wide range of environmental conditions and have a high reproduction rate so they are good candidates for ecological engineering tests. We assessed the impact of these species at different densities (0, 100, 500, 1000 g m−2) on the hydraulic conductivity of small-sized experimental filters made of columns filled with filter sand classically used for sanitation mixed with 5% organic matter. The hydraulic conductivity was recorded every 7 days over 37 days in non-saturated conditions. On day 23, 40 g of peat bedding was added at the column surfaces to simulate a surface clogging organic matter pulse input. Columns with an earthworm density equal or superior to 500 g m−2 revealed the highest hydraulic conductivities during the first 21 days. At these densities, the hydraulic conductivity was also restored in less than 7 days after the addition of the surface organic matter, showing the influence of the earthworm species on the resilience capacity of the hydraulic conductivity. It was also highlighted that the hydraulic flow was dependent on the lumbricid densities with an optimal density/effect around 500 g m−2 in this specific substrate composition. This study showed that the feeding habits and burrowing activity of both Eisenia species significantly enhanced the hydraulic flow in a sandy substrate, providing a sustainable solution to limit the clogging of the substrate similar to the one used in filters to treat wastewater.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Density Effect of Eisenia sp. Epigeic Earthworms on the Hydraulic Conductivity of Sand Filters for Wastewater Treatment

Gilibert

Gérino

Costa³

et al. 2022

Water

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“…Bioturbators affect the soil structure by forming a system of burrows and moving soil aggregates without changing their internal organization [3]. Galleries are formed by earthworms moving in the soil and create large networks that occupy a significant volume of soil [4,24,25]. These large macropores are crucial for regulating water infiltration, solvent diffusion [26,27], gas exchange and aeration through the soil [28,29].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of earthworms to changes in the aggregate structure of floodplain soils

Tutova

Жуков

Кунах

et al. 2022

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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Earthworms are actively involved in the transformation of organic matter and in the formation of water-resistant soil aggregate structure. In the short time perspective earthworms are a factor that affects soil properties. However, other factors also influence soil properties and it is these factors that determine the total level of earthworm abundance and patterns of their spatial distribution. In urban park environments, the recreation load is an additional factor. The recreational load significantly affects the physical properties of the soil. An aggregate soil structure regulates the ratio of solid, liquid, and gaseous soil fractions and thus determines the living conditions of soil animals. Purpose/objective. The study tested the hypothesis about the influence of the aggregate structure of soil on the spatial distribution of earthworms under recreational load conditions. Methodology. Geostatistical methods and evaluation of animal response models to environmental factors. Results/findings. The aggregate structure of the soil is an important factor that affects the spatial patterns of earthworms under recreational load conditions. Earthworms prefer sites with a predominance of meso-aggregates. A recreational load leads to an increase in the proportion of macro- and micro-aggregates, which negatively affects the living conditions of earthworms. Conclusions. The processes of mutual influence of earthworms and soil aggregate structure have different temporal scales: earthworms influence soil structure in the time range of a few days or weeks, and aggregate structure influences in the time range of a few months or years.

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“…In agricultural systems, soil organisms have played significant roles in soil structure, water content, temperature and nutrient cycling [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Soil organisms also have been well recognized to have the potential in modifying soil fertility and improving plant growth [15][16][17][18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Earthworm (Eisenia fetida) Mucus Inspired Bionic Fertilizer to Stimulate Maize (Zea mays L.) Growth

Zhang

Truong

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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Background: Increasing population and food consumption are placing unprecedented demands on crop production. Maize is one of the most important food crops in the world, the improvement of its yield primarily depends on the application of chemical fertilizer. Methods: Earthworm activity is an essential factor in promoting soil fertility and stimulating plant growth. Inspired by amino acids composition of earthworm (Eisenia fetida) epidermal mucus, the liquid fertilizer was developed and prepared by utilizing a bionic approach. The influence of earthworm epidermal mucus (mucus), the mucus-mimicked mixture of amino acids (bionic fertilizer) and urea fertilizer (urea) on maize emergence and growth were studied and compared with the control group (distilled water). Experimental cultivation tests were conducted. The aforementioned three types of liquid fertilizer effects on maize seed vigor index, seedling emergence rate and plant quality were quantitatively evaluated. Results: Based on the conducted research, it was found that the beneficial effects of different fertilizers for maize emergence rate were ranked as follows: mucus > bionic fertilizer > urea. The low concentration treatments were beneficial to the maize emergence, while the high concentration treatments were helpful to the maize growth and root development. Besides, the lower concentration of mucus was the most effective fertilizer treatment for improving seedling quality. In addition, the test results of three types of liquid fertilizer effects on maize growth indicated that the higher concentration treatments provided more nitrogen nutrition than lower concentration treatments. Furthermore, the maize stem height and diameter were significantly promoted (p < 0.05) by the three types of liquid fertilizer. The beneficial influences of liquid fertilizer treatments for plant height, stem diameter, relative chlorophyll content and photosynthetic characteristic of leaves were ranked as follows: bionic fertilizer > urea > mucus. Conclusions: Bionic fertilizer demonstrated significant beneficial fertilizing effects (p < 0.05), which increased soil nutrients, improved maize physiological parameters, promote its growth and improved dry matter accumulation. The tested results verified the effectiveness of bionic fertilizer on stimulating maize growth.

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Earthworm Burrowing Activity and Its Effects on Soil Hydraulic Properties under Different Soil Moisture Conditions from the Loess Plateau, China

Cited by 8 publications

References 50 publications

Density Effect of Eisenia sp. Epigeic Earthworms on the Hydraulic Conductivity of Sand Filters for Wastewater Treatment

Density Effect of Eisenia sp. Epigeic Earthworms on the Hydraulic Conductivity of Sand Filters for Wastewater Treatment

Response of earthworms to changes in the aggregate structure of floodplain soils

Earthworm (Eisenia fetida) Mucus Inspired Bionic Fertilizer to Stimulate Maize (Zea mays L.) Growth

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