The effect of earthworm activity on soil bioporosity – Investigated with X-ray computed tomography and endoscopy

Pagenkemper, Sebastian K.; Athmann, Miriam; Uteau, Daniel; Kautz, Timo; Peth, Stephan; Horn, Rainer

doi:10.1016/j.still.2014.05.007

Cited by 73 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Earthworms form the major part of soil fauna biomass in most temperate terrestrial ecosystems (Edwards, ). They have long been identified as ecosystem engineers (Boivin & Kohler‐Milleret, ; Lavelle, Bignell, & Lepage, ), and their burrowing activity has been linked to an increased accessible surface area of biopores (Pagenkemper et al, ), infiltrability (Alaoui, Lipiec, & Gerke, ), decreased wettability, altered greenhouse gas‐exchange (Lubbers et al, ), and improved crop growth (Lipiec & Hatano, ) in agroecosystems. Through release of C and N, they induce hotspots with a size from a few millimeters up to several millimeters (drilosphere) with increased microbial and enzyme activity (Kuzyakov & Blagodatskaya, ; Tejada, Gómez, Franco‐Andreu, Hernandez, & García, ; Valchovski, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative interactions between total and specific enzyme activities and C and N contents in earthworm‐affected pear orchard soil

et al. 2018

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The current study describes quantitatively the interactions between (a) activity of extracellular enzymes: β‐glucosidase (BG), protease (Prot), alkaline phosphatase (Alk P), and acid phosphatase (Acid P); (b) intracellular activities: respiration, dehydrogenase activity (DHA); and (c) C and N contents of soil: Corg—organic carbon, Cmic—microbial biomass, ratio Cmic:Corg, Ntot—total nitrogen, and ratio C:N in earthworm‐affected and surrounding loess soil under a pear orchard. The soil tested was collected from: burrow walls (0–3 mm) and a transition zone (3–7 mm) both forming drilosphere, bulk soil (20 mm from the burrow wall), and cast aggregates. The enzyme activities were presented as total ‘tot’ (per gram of dry soil mass) and specific ‘spec’ (per Cmic). It was shown that soil Cmic, basal respiration, BGtot, Prottot, and Alk Ptot were significantly positively correlated with Corg, Cmic:Corg, Ntot, and C:N (r = 0.627–0.976). However, the specific BGspec, Protspec, and Acid Pspec were negatively correlated, while specific respiration (qCO2) and Alk Pspec were not correlated with most soil characteristics. The relationships between DHAtot, DHAspec, and all soil characteristics were positive and had the highest correlation coefficients (r = 0.703–0.989). Response ratio of the enzyme activity was more strongly affected by enzyme activity location (extracellular vs. intracellular) and presentation method (total vs. specific), than by earthworm‐affected soil compartments. The results suggest a need to consider the method of enzyme activity presentation (specific vs. total) that supports understanding ecologically relevant microbial processes in earthworm‐inhabited orchard soils.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative interactions between total and specific enzyme activities and C and N contents in earthworm‐affected pear orchard soil

et al. 2018

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“…In the clay‐illuvial horizons of Luvisols (Bt horizons), the surfaces of aggregates and cracks are characteristically coated by clay organic material. These coatings contain increased organic carbon contents (Leue et al, 2018), a fact that was also reported for the surfaces of earthworm burrows and the drilosphere around these biopores (Don et al, 2008; Pagenkemper et al, 2015). However, as a crucial point, crack coatings in Bt horizons revealed a significantly different organic matter (OM) composition as compared with other macropore surfaces (Leue et al, 2016, 2017).…”

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confidence: 59%

Separation of Soil Macropore Types in Three‐Dimensional X‐Ray Computed Tomography Images Based on Pore Geometry Characteristics

Leue

Uteau

Peth

et al. 2019

Vadose Zone Journal

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Core Ideas For preferential flow modeling, different macropore types must be considered. A method was developed for separating biopores and cracks in 3D images from XRCT. The method enabled a more objective determination of structuring element sizes. The voxel‐based approach was found useful for quantification of macropore types. In structured soils, earthworm burrows, root channels, shrinkage cracks, and interaggregate spaces form complex macropore networks. Depending on the type and morphological properties, each macropore surface type is coated with specific organo‐mineral compounds, differently affecting sorption and mass exchange during preferential flow and turnover processes. For a quantitative, macropore type–specific analysis using X‐ray computed tomography (XRCT) with subsequent three‐dimensional (3D) image analysis, a discrimination of biopores from cracks and interaggregate spaces is necessary. We developed a method that allows separating biopores from other larger macropores in 3D images from XRCT of intact soil cores. An image‐processing workflow using the MAVI (Modular Algorithms for Volume Images) software framework ToolIP (Tool for Image Processing) was created to handle XRCT 3D images. Masking steps enabled to retain the surface roughness in the resulting two images of separated biopores and cracks. As a key point, the sizes of the structuring elements used in the spherical opening and dilation were objectively determined. For this purpose, maximum differences in the pore shapes between the 3D images of cylindrical biopores vs. more flat cracks and unregularly interaggregate spaces were focused. At the given resolution of 231‐μm voxel edge length, an optimum size of 2.5 voxels was found for both processing steps. The voxel‐based approach is applicable to XRCT 3D images of different spatial resolution and appears useful for the quantification of physicochemical surface properties of different macropore types for soil volumes, enabling a more precise description of preferential flow and transport.

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“…From the scarce examples of ecological studies, the most studied animals have been arthropods and annelids, and in a lesser extend other kingdoms such as plants and fungi (Figure 3). It is particularly evident that one of the most popular topics so far is soil ecology (Davey et al., 2011; Harrison, Gardner, Tollner, & Kinard, 1993; Tollner, 1991), and specifically the study of worm burrows (Amossé, Turberg, Kohler‐Milleret, Gobat, & Le Bayon, 2015; Auclerc, Capowiez, Guérold, & Nahmani, 2013; Capowiez, Monestiez, & Belzunces, 2001; Capowiez, Pierret, & Moran, 2003; Francis, Tabley, Butler, & Fraser, 2001; Jégou, Capowiez, & Cluzeau, 2001; Jégou, Cluzeau, Hallaire, Balesdent, & Tréhen, 2000; Jégou, Cluzeau, Wolf, Gandon, & Tréhen, 1998; Jégou, Hallaire, Cluzeau, & Tréhen, 1999; Jégou et al., 2002; Langmaack, Schrader, Rapp‐Bernhardt, & Kotzke, 1999; Pagenkemper et al., 2015; Pelosi, Grandeau, & Capowiez, 2017; Rogasik, Schrader, Onasch, Kiesel, & Gerke, 2014; Schrader, Rogasik, Onasch, & Jegou, 2007), mostly because of the ease of studying this type of sample. Soil can be considered a matrix where the components can be detected through X‐ray CT without any preparation (i.e., staining).…”

Section: Application Of X‐ray Computed Tomography In Ecological Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

X‐ray computed tomography and its potential in ecological research: A review of studies and optimization of specimen preparation

Gutiérrez

Ott

Töpperwien

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Imaging techniques are a cornerstone of contemporary biology. Over the last decades, advances in microscale imaging techniques have allowed fascinating new insights into cell and tissue morphology and internal anatomy of organisms across kingdoms. However, most studies so far provided snapshots of given reference taxa, describing organs and tissues under “idealized” conditions. Surprisingly, there is an almost complete lack of studies investigating how an organism′s internal morphology changes in response to environmental drivers. Consequently, ecology as a scientific discipline has so far almost neglected the possibilities arising from modern microscale imaging techniques. Here, we provide an overview of recent developments of X‐ray computed tomography as an affordable, simple method of high spatial resolution, allowing insights into three‐dimensional anatomy both in vivo and ex vivo. We review ecological studies using this technique to investigate the three‐dimensional internal structure of organisms. In addition, we provide practical comparisons between different preparation techniques for maximum contrast and tissue differentiation. In particular, we consider the novel modality of phase contrast by self‐interference of the X‐ray wave behind an object (i.e., phase contrast by free space propagation). Using the cricket Acheta domesticus (L.) as model organism, we found that the combination of FAE fixative and iodine staining provided the best results across different tissues. The drying technique also affected contrast and prevented artifacts in specific cases. Overall, we found that for the interests of ecological studies, X‐ray computed tomography is useful when the tissue or structure of interest has sufficient contrast that allows for an automatic or semiautomatic segmentation. In particular, we show that reconstruction schemes which exploit phase contrast can yield enhanced image quality. Combined with suitable specimen preparation and automated analysis, X‐ray CT can therefore become a promising quantitative 3D imaging technique to study organisms′ responses to environmental drivers, in both ecology and evolution.

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The effect of earthworm activity on soil bioporosity – Investigated with X-ray computed tomography and endoscopy

Cited by 73 publications

References 54 publications

Quantitative interactions between total and specific enzyme activities and C and N contents in earthworm‐affected pear orchard soil

Quantitative interactions between total and specific enzyme activities and C and N contents in earthworm‐affected pear orchard soil

Separation of Soil Macropore Types in Three‐Dimensional X‐Ray Computed Tomography Images Based on Pore Geometry Characteristics

X‐ray computed tomography and its potential in ecological research: A review of studies and optimization of specimen preparation

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