Earthworm distribution and abundance along a mineral-peat soil transect

Cotton, David; Curry, James

doi:10.1016/0038-0717(82)90026-8

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…In our study site, this functional group was represented by L. rubellus and by immature Lumbricus, which were the only earthworms present at high densities in the transition and invasion front areas (Table 2). Other studies have reported that newly-reclaimed peats and mining soils are first colonized by surface-active, pigmented earthworm species including L. rubellus (Satchell and Stone 1977;Cotton and Curry 1982;Marinissen and van den Bosch 1992). The ability of epigeic or epianecic species to colonize new habitats may be related to their feeding habits that allow them to eat leaf litter and other plant debris on the soil surface, but also to their faster reproduction and dispersion rates (Marinissen and van den Bosch 1992).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The factors controlling earthworm distributions have been studied in many agricultural settings and in several tropical and temperate ecosystems (Cotton and Curry 1982;Fragoso et al 1993;Hendrix 1995;Edwards and Bohlen 1996;Cannavacciuolo et al 1998;Decaens and Rossi 2001;Margerie et al 2001;Bailey et al 2002). In general, these studies have shown that earthworms often have clustered horizontal distributions, controlled primarily by spatial patterns of soil moisture and texture, soil pH, and the quantity and quality of organic matter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Exotic Earthworm Communities Along Invasion Fronts in a Temperate Hardwood Forest in South-Central New York (USA)

et al. 2006

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The invasion of North American forests by exotic earthworms is producing profound ecosystem changes, such as alterations in soil nutrient cycling, and redistribution and loss of soil organic matter. However, the present and future extent of these invasions is difficult to evaluate without a better understanding of the factors that control the distribution and abundance of earthworms in previously non-invaded habitats. In this study, the species composition and short-term dynamics of three exotic earthworm invasion fronts were studied at a northern hardwood forest in south-central New York State (USA). Belt transects were established at each of the three locations to sample from earthworm-invaded areas through transition zones and into invasion front areas. Lumbricus rubellus, L. terrestris and Octolasion tyrtaeum were the most common species, but their distribution was not homogeneous along the transects. Whereas, L. rubellus was the only species with relatively high adult densities at transition zones and invasion fronts, L. terrestris and O. tyrtaeum occurred mostly in the heavily earthworminvaded areas and were rare at the invasion fronts. The density of earthworms along the transects decreased by 60-

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Exotic Earthworm Communities Along Invasion Fronts in a Temperate Hardwood Forest in South-Central New York (USA)

et al. 2006

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“…Transport along streams has also been shown to be an important vector of earthworm spread in Alaska and Finland (Terhivuo et al 2002;Costello et al 2010). In pastures and grasslands in areas where native earthworms are present, soil texture, soil pH, organic matter content, soil moisture, vegetation, and the presence of other earthworm species have all been identified as factors influencing local spatial patterns of earthworms (Cotton and Curry 1982;Cannavacciuolo et al 1998;Mathieu et al 2009;Valckx et al 2009). Most research in North American forests with no native earthworms has focused on broad-scale distributions, but acidic soils (Shakir and Dindal 1997), unpalatable litter with high C:N ratios (Shakir and Dindal 1997), and very dry soils (Owen and Galbraith 1989) have also been found to be important factors restricting local distributions and therefore may result in slower spread.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Spatial patterns and spread of exotic earthworms at local scales

Cameron

Bayne

2015

Can. J. Zool.

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Given the substantial impacts of non-native species on invaded systems, an understanding of the rates and spatial patterns of invasive spread is critical. Spread may vary across spatial scales, with dispersal of invasive species occurring both via diffusive spread at local sites and long-distance jump dispersal at larger scales. Research on earthworm invasions in North American forests has focused on patterns of spread across landscapes, with less examination of spread at local sites. We sampled the exotic earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra (Savigny, 1826) on 500 m × 500 m grids at three sites in the boreal forest of northeastern Alberta in 2006 and again in 2012-2013 to examine distributional changes over time. Earthworms spread farther from roads (the presumed site of initial introduction) over time, and spatial patterns at our sites suggest transport by vehicles and waterways are key vectors of dispersal at the local level. Spread was estimated to be occurring at a rate of at least 17.9 m/year. Our study indicates that both diffusive spread and jump dispersal of earthworms can be important at local scales and that local diffusive spread may be substantially higher than previously estimated.Résumé : Étant donné les impacts considérables des espèces non indigènes sur les systèmes envahis, la compréhension des taux et de la distribution spatiale de la dissémination envahissante est d'une importance critique. La dissémination peut varier selon l'échelle spatiale, la dispersion d'espèces envahissantes s'effectuant tant par dissémination par diffusion à l'échelle locale que par dispersion par grands sauts à des échelles plus grandes. La recherche sur les invasions de lombrics dans les forêts nordaméricaines s'est axée sur les motifs de dissémination à l'échelle des paysages, s'intéressant moins à la dissémination locale. Nous avons échantillonné du lombric exotique Dendrobaena octaedra (Savigny, 1826) sur des grilles de 500 m × 500 m en trois sites dans la forêt boréale du nord-est de l'Alberta en 2006, puis en 2012-2013, afin d'examiner les variations de leur répartition dans le temps. La dissémination des lombrics s'éloignait des routes (sites présumés de l'introduction initiale) avec le temps, les motifs de répartition spatiale dans les sites étudiés donnant à penser que les véhicules et les cours d'eau constituent des vecteurs clés de la dispersion à l'échelle locale. Il a été estimé que la dissémination s'effectuait à un taux d'au moins 17,9 m/an. Notre étude indique que tant la dissémination par diffusion que la dispersion par sauts des lombrics peuvent être importantes à des échelles locales et que la dissémination locale par diffusion peut être sensiblement plus importante que ce que laissaient croire les estimations passées. [Traduit par la Rédaction]

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“…Even such little-regarded species as earthworms, which make similar contributions to soil processes as do termites, are disturbance-sensitive (Blanchart and Julka 1997). Owing to the unusual peat ecosystem that is highly acidic, anaerobic, and sensitive to fire and disturbed conditions, earthworms are nearly absent from disturbed peat (Cotton and Curry 1982). Termites, which tend to be much more resilient to land disturbance than are earthworms and other related species, could therefore be seen as a major soil engineer if their services could be harnessed efficiently.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Termite: Friend or Foe? Conservation Values of Termites in Tropical Peat Systems

Neoh

Muhammad

Itoh

et al. 2023

Global Environmental Studies

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Termites are the major ecosystem service providers and contribute significantly to soil processes and nutrient cycling in tropical ecosystems. The ecological services provided by termites are often discredited due to their commonly-regarded status as pest in human-dominated landscapes, however. In order to understand the potential roles of termites in peatland ecosystems, termite samplings were conducted in abandoned degraded peatland and peatland cultivated with oil palm in Riau, Sumatra. Surveys found a total of six species of termite of the family Rhinotermitidae. (rhinotermitid) in study plots of disturbed lands. In particular, Coptotermes spp. are notorious pests to oil palm, and may also be a potential pest in indigenous tree replanting programs. Based on analysis of termite feeding groups and documentation of wood susceptibility to termite attack, this study provides a reference of tree species that must be avoided in indigenous tree replanting programs so that the trophic relations of termite populations are of most benefit to peatland soil biodiversity and thereby to resilient peatland ecosystems.

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Earthworm distribution and abundance along a mineral-peat soil transect

Cited by 8 publications

References 7 publications

Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Exotic Earthworm Communities Along Invasion Fronts in a Temperate Hardwood Forest in South-Central New York (USA)

Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Exotic Earthworm Communities Along Invasion Fronts in a Temperate Hardwood Forest in South-Central New York (USA)

Spatial patterns and spread of exotic earthworms at local scales

Termite: Friend or Foe? Conservation Values of Termites in Tropical Peat Systems

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