Micro-Organisms in the Intestines of Earthworms

Parle, J. N.

doi:10.1099/00221287-31-1-1

Cited by 203 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Studies of various earthworm species have generally shown an increase in microbial numbers or activity either during or after passage through the gut and in the drilosphere (2,12,13,20,42,54,57,66,75,78,83), although corresponding increases in microbial biomass were not always observed (12,65). Karsten and Drake (38) found more anaerobes and cellobiose utilizers in the earthworm alimentary canal than in soil.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular and Culture-Based Analyses of Prokaryotic Communities from an Agricultural Soil and the Burrows and Casts of the EarthwormLumbricus rubellus

Furlong

Singleton²,

Coleman

et al. 2002

Appl Environ Microbiol

208

152

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The microbial populations in no-till agricultural soil and casts of the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus were examined by culturing and molecular methods. Clone libraries of the 16S rRNA genes were prepared from DNA isolated directly from the soil and earthworm casts. Although no single phylum dominated the soil library of 95 clones, the largest numbers of clones were from Acidobacteria (14%), Cytophagales (13%), Chloroflexi (8%), and ␥-Proteobacteria (8%). While the cast clone library of 102 clones was similar to the soil library, the abundances of several taxa were different. Representatives of the Pseudomonas genus as well as the Actinobacteria and Firmicutes increased in number, and one group of unclassified organisms found in the soil library was absent in the cast library. Likewise, soil and cast archaeal 16S rRNA gene libraries were similar, although the abundances of some groups were different. Two hundred and thirty aerobic bacteria were also isolated on general heterotrophic media from casts, burrows, and soil. The cast isolates were both phenotypically and genotypically different from the soil isolates. The cast isolates were more likely to reduce nitrate, grow on acetate and Casamino Acids, and utilize fewer sugars than the soil isolates. On the basis of their ribotypes, the cast isolates were dominated by Aeromonas spp. (28%), which were not found in the soil isolates, and other ␥-Proteobacteria (49%). In contrast, the soil isolates were mostly Actinobacteria (53%), Firmicutes (16%), and ␥-Proteobacteria (19%). Isolates obtained from the sides of earthworm burrows were not different from the soil isolates. Diversity indices for the collections of isolates as well as rRNA gene libraries indicated that the species richness and evenness were decreased in the casts from their levels in the soil. These results were consistent with a model where a large portion of the microbial population in soil passes through the gastrointestinal tract of the earthworm unchanged while representatives of some phyla increase in abundance.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular and Culture-Based Analyses of Prokaryotic Communities from an Agricultural Soil and the Burrows and Casts of the EarthwormLumbricus rubellus

Furlong

Singleton²,

Coleman

et al. 2002

Appl Environ Microbiol

208

152

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“…Earthworms are important in turnover of soil, contribute most to soil invertebrate biomass, contain the highest international units of cellulase and are believed to be capable of producing cellulases and chitinases other than through intestinal microflora (Parle, 1963;Hartenstein, 1981). Cellulases are a group of enzymes that catalyze the degradation of cellulose -a polysaccharide built of β-1,4 linked glucose units.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gut Enzyme Activities of the Earthworm, Perionyx ceylanensis Collected from Different Vermibed Substrates

Devi¹,

Prakash²

2017

Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci

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“…This research is largely based on studies of earthworm casts. Casts generally have higher moisture, carbon and nitrogen contents, and often a higher C:N ratio than surrounding soil, and thus provide a favorable habitat for increased microbial activity (Parle, 1963;Lee, 1985;Shaw and Pawluk, 1986;Scheu, 1987). Classic mull vs. mor comparisons have found mull soils to be dominated by earthworm activity, lower fungal and higher bacterial densities, and lower microfaunal populations.…”

Section: The Structure and Function Of Oak Forest Ecosystems Along Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem Processes Along an Urban-to-Rural Gradient

McDonnell

Pickett²,

Groffman³

et al.

Urban Ecology

258

255

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In order to understand the effect of urban development on the functioning of forest ecosystems, during the past decade we have been studying red oak stands located on similar soil along an urban-rural gradient running from New York City ro rural Litchfield County, Connecticut. This paper summarizes the results of this work. Field measurements, controlled laboratory experiments, and reciprocal transplants documented soil pollution, soil hydrophobicity, litter decomposition rates, total soil carbon, potential nitrogen mineralization, nitrification, fungal biomass, and earthworm populations in forests along the 140 × 20 km study transect. The results revealed a complex urban-rural environmental gradient. The urban forests exhibit unique ecosystem structure and function in relation to the suburban and rural forest stands; these are likely linked to stresses of the urban environment such as air pollution, which has also resulted in elevated levels of heavy metals in the soil, the positive effects of the heat island phenomenon, and the presence of earthworms. The data suggest a working model to guide mechanistic work on the ecology of forests along urban-to-rural gradients, and for comparison of different metropolitan areas.

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Micro-Organisms in the Intestines of Earthworms

Cited by 203 publications

References 17 publications

Molecular and Culture-Based Analyses of Prokaryotic Communities from an Agricultural Soil and the Burrows and Casts of the EarthwormLumbricus rubellus

Molecular and Culture-Based Analyses of Prokaryotic Communities from an Agricultural Soil and the Burrows and Casts of the EarthwormLumbricus rubellus

Gut Enzyme Activities of the Earthworm, Perionyx ceylanensis Collected from Different Vermibed Substrates

Ecosystem Processes Along an Urban-to-Rural Gradient

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