Ingestion of charcoal by the Amazonian earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus: A potential for tropical soil fertility

Ponge, Jean‐François; Topoliantz, Stéphanie; Ballof, Sylvain; Rossi, Jean‐Pierre; Lavelle, Patrick; Betsch, Jean-Marie; Gaucher, Philippe

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.12.024

Cited by 48 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Furthermore, the initially large BC particles may have broken down into small particles by physical pressure derived from agricultural operations, such as plowing, or by earthworm activity, which ingest BC and defecate casts containing small BC fragments (Ponge et al 2006). The physical breakdown is confirmed by the ratio of BC contents determined by NMR and manual quantification.…”

Section: Bc Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term black carbon dynamics in cultivated soil

et al. 2008

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Black carbon (BC) is a quantitatively important C pool in the global C cycle due to its relative recalcitrance compared with other C pools. However, mechanisms of BC oxidation and accompanying molecular changes are largely unknown. In this study, the long-term dynamics in quality and quantity of BC were investigated in cultivated soil using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. BC particles and changes in BC stocks were obtained from soil collected in fields that were cleared from forest by fire at 8 different times in the past (2, 3, 5, 20, 30, 50, 80 and 100 years before sampling) in western Kenya. BC contents rapidly decreased from 12.7 to 3.8 mg C g -1 soil during the first 30 years following deposition, after which they slowly decreased to a steady state at 3.5 mg C g -1 soil. BC-derived C losses from the top 0.1 m over 100 years were estimated at 6,000 kg C ha -1 . The initial rapid changes in BC stocks resulted in a mean residence time of only around 8.3 years, which was likely a function of both decomposition as well as transport processes. The molecular properties of BC changed more rapidly on surfaces than in the interior of BC particles and more rapidly during the first 30 years than during the following 70 years. The Oc/C ratios (Oc is O bound to C) and carbonyl groups (C=O) increased over the first 10 and 30 years by 133 and 192%, respectively, indicating oxidation was an important process controlling BC quality. Al, Si, polysaccharides, and to a lesser extent Fe were found on BC particle surfaces within the first few years after BC deposition to soil. The protection by physical and chemical stabilization was apparently sufficient to not only minimize decomposition below detection between 30 and 100 years after deposition, but also physical export by erosion and vertical transport below 0.1 m.

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Section: Bc Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term black carbon dynamics in cultivated soil

et al. 2008

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“…Tail's quincunx formation of setae Presence (2,4,5,7,8,10,11,12,13) Caudal zone Position CVII-CXVIII (3), CXIII-CXXXIIII (5), CXX-CXXX (9), Number 4-7 (5), 5-7 (9) segments long Internal characteristics Typhlosole Presence (2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13) Caeca absence (7, 11, 12, 13) Caeca presence (2) Typhlosole position (start) XXI-XXV (4), XXIII-XXV (10), XV (11, 13), XXII (12) Typhlosole position (end) CVIII-CXXXVIII (5), CXIII-CXXV (10) Spermathecae Number Two pairs (1), three pairs (2,3,5,7,8,10,11,12,3,5,7,8,10,11,12,13), VIII-IX (1) Shape Club-shaped (8), tubular (11) however, worth noting that Ayala and Barois (2016) showed in a laboratory experiments that P. corethrurus was unable to grow in an extremely rich substrate of 75-100% organic matter, the mortality rate being between 56 and 100%. P. corethrurus is also able to feed in environments where litter resources are low (Lavelle et al, 1987;Marichal et al, 2010;Ponge et al, 2006;Shilenkova and Tiunov, 2015). For instance, P. corethrurus reached a remarkably high density (200 ind.m −2 ) in a soil extremely poor in organic matter, the alluvial sandy soil of a gallery forest along the Dong Nai River in the Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam.…”

Section: Morphologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Harmful or useful? A case study of the exotic peregrine earthworm morphospecies Pontoscolex corethrurus

Taheri

Pelosi

Dupont

2018

Soil Biology and Biochemistry

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A B S T R A C TExotic peregrine earthworms are often considered to cause environmental harm and to have a negative impact on native species, but, as ecosystem engineers, they enhance soil physical properties. Pontoscolex corethrurus is by far the most studied morphospecies and is also the most widespread in tropical areas. The term of morphospecies is used in this review because P. corethrurus may in fact constitute a complex of cryptic species. This earthworm is found in a wide range of habitats, from apparently pristine to any kind of human-disturbed environment. This review synthesizes 265 studies describing the distribution, morphology, biological and ecological traits of this morphospecies, as well as its impacts on soil conditions and communities. We then discuss the characteristics necessary for this specific morphospecies to become a successful colonizer throughout the world and the positive and negative effects it can have on the ecosystems that it has invaded. We emphasize the lack of knowledge of P. corethrurus reproductive mode and ploidy level, of its population genetics, and of the potential existence of cryptic species. To finish, we highlight the fact that data on P. corethrurus interactions with non-earthworm soil macrofauna are scarce.

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“…This activity by P. corethrurus indicates its potentially vital role in stabilizing organic matter and historical development of Terra preta soils [46,71]. Because of their vital role, some researchers have proposed that earthworms, particularly in the tropics, can be used as ecosystem engineering tools to maintain and/or improve soil fertility and ecosystem function [72] particularly in conjunction with charcoal additions [73].…”

Section: Historical Impacts and Other Field Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Biochar on Earthworm Populations: A Review

Weyers

Spokas

2011

Applied and Environmental Soil Science

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Despite the overwhelming importance of earthworm activity in the soil system, there are a limited number of studies that have examined the impact resulting from biochar addition to soil. Biochar is part of the black carbon continuum of chemothermal converted biomass. This review summarizes existing data pertaining to earthworms where biochar and other black carbon substances, including slash-and-burn charcoals and wood ash, have been applied. After analyzing existing studies on black carbon, we identified that these additions have a range from short-term negative impacts to long-term null effects on earthworm population density and total biomass. Documented cases of mortality were found with certain biochar-soil combinations; the cause is not fully understood, but hypothesized to be related to pH, whether the black carbon is premoistened, affects feeding behaviors, or other unknown factors. With wood ashes, negative impacts were overcome with addition of other carbon substrates. Given that field data is limited, soils amended with biochar did not appear to cause significant long-term impacts. However, this may indicate that the magnitude of short-term negative impacts on earthworm populations can be reduced with time.

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Ingestion of charcoal by the Amazonian earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus: A potential for tropical soil fertility

Cited by 48 publications

References 16 publications

Long-term black carbon dynamics in cultivated soil

Long-term black carbon dynamics in cultivated soil

Harmful or useful? A case study of the exotic peregrine earthworm morphospecies Pontoscolex corethrurus

Impact of Biochar on Earthworm Populations: A Review

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