The role of soil fauna in soil health and delivery of ecosystem services

Brown, G. G.; Forestry, Brazil Embrapa; Silva, Elodie da; Thomazini, M. J.; Niva, Cíntia Carla; Decaëns, Thibaud; Cunha, Luís; Nadolny, Herlon; Demetrio, Wilian Carlo; Santos, Alessandra; Ferreira, Talita; Maia, Lilianne dos Santos; Conrado, Ana Caroline; Segalla, Rodrigo F.; Casadei-Ferreira, Alexandre; Pasini, Amarildo; Bartz, Marie Luise Carolina; Sautter, Klaus Dieter; James, Samuel W.; Baretta, Dilmar; Antoniolli, Zaida Inês; Briones, M. J. I.; Sousa, José Paulo; Römbke, Jörg; Lavelle, Patrick; Cerrados, Brazil Embrapa

doi:10.19103/as.2017.0033.11

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Soil macroinvertebrates represent as much as 25% of overall known described species (Decaëns et al, 2006), and may easily surpass 1 million species worldwide (Brown et al, 2018). However, soil animal communities have been little studied in megadiverse regions such as the Amazonian rainforest (Barros et al, 2006; Franco et al, 2018; Marichal et al, 2014), and these habitats may be home to thousands of described and still undescribed species (Brown et al, 2006), particularly smaller invertebrates such as nematodes and mites (Franklin & Morais, 2006; Huang & Cares, 2006) but also macroinvertebrates (Mathieu, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A “Dirty” Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils

Demetrio

Conrado

Acioli

et al. 2021

Global Change Biology

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Amazonian rainforests, once thought to be pristine wilderness, are increasingly known to have been widely inhabited, modified, and managed prior to European arrival, by human populations with diverse cultural backgrounds. Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are fertile soils found throughout the Amazon Basin, created by pre‐Columbian societies with sedentary habits. Much is known about the chemistry of these soils, yet their zoology has been neglected. Hence, we characterized soil fertility, macroinvertebrate communities, and their activity at nine archeological sites in three Amazonian regions in ADEs and adjacent reference soils under native forest (young and old) and agricultural systems. We found 673 morphospecies and, despite similar richness in ADEs (385 spp.) and reference soils (399 spp.), we identified a tenacious pre‐Columbian footprint, with 49% of morphospecies found exclusively in ADEs. Termite and total macroinvertebrate abundance were higher in reference soils, while soil fertility and macroinvertebrate activity were higher in the ADEs, and associated with larger earthworm quantities and biomass. We show that ADE habitats have a unique pool of species, but that modern land use of ADEs decreases their populations, diversity, and contributions to soil functioning. These findings support the idea that humans created and sustained high‐fertility ecosystems that persist today, altering biodiversity patterns in Amazonia.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A “Dirty” Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils

Demetrio

Conrado

Acioli

et al. 2021

Global Change Biology

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“…Terrestrial ecosystems benefit immensely from soil organisms (Nielsen et al 2015). Knowledge on soil fauna has increased and more attention has been given to these taxa in recent years (Brown et al 2018) and earthworms' contribution to soil ecosystem and soil fertility has been documented. Earthworms contribute to ecosystem services by converting organic matter into rich humus in the form of casts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Earthworms contribute to ecosystem services by converting organic matter into rich humus in the form of casts. Earthworms improve soil fertility and quality, influence soil formation, improve soil nutrient availability, stabilise the soil, increase soil porosity, improve water infiltration and increase the overall health of the soil (Lavelle et al 2006;Jouquet et al 2006;Brown et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, access to accurate taxonomic information of soil organisms is essential. Unfortunately, taxonomists trained to identify soil fauna are in decline (Brown et al 2018). The adoption of environmentally friendly and sustainable agriculture is therefore long overdue because of rapid increase in human population, climate change and deteriorating soils (Kassam et al 2009;Delgado and Gantzer 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Earthworm species occurrence in agroecosystems in the Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Nxele¹,

Mwabvu²,

Yekwayo³

2021

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Little is known about the species composition of earthworms in agroecosystems in South Africa even though earthworms provide soil ecosystem services and are useful biological indicators of changes in the habitats. Given the land use and management impact biodiversity, the aim of this study was to document earthworm species that occur under cultivated land in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. A survey of nine farms that practise conservation agriculture was carried out between 2018 and 2020. Twelve earthworm species belonging to four introduced families: Acanthodrilidae (Dichogaster bolaui), Rhinodrilidae (Pontoscolex corenthrurus), Lumbricidae (Aporrectodea caliginosa, Aporrectodea rosea, Aporrectodea trapezoides, Lumbricus rubellus, Octolasion cyaneum, Octolasion lacteum), Megascolecidae (Amynthas aeruginosus, Amynthas corticis, Amynthas gracilis, Amynthas rodericensis) and juveniles from an indigenous family Tritogeniidae were recorded from cultivated fields. The type of crop (habitat) affected both species richness and abundance of earthworms significantly. However, post hoc results showed differences in species richness between the soya and the maize only, with greater species richness in the maize. Our results demonstrate that habitat type has a major influence on communities of earthworms in agroecosystems.

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“…Among the more than 25 taxa of soil invertebrates that live in NT systems in Brazil (Brown, Pasini, Benito, Aquino, & Correia, 2001; Marchão et al, 2009), earthworms represent the largest biomass (Benito, Guimarães, & Pasini, 2003), although their abundance may often be surpassed by that of ants and beetles (Zagatto, 2014). These macro‐invertebrates promote soil engineering, soil functioning and soil‐based ecosystem services, including fragmentation and decomposition of organic materials, biological control of pests and pathogens, soil structuration and stabilization of soil OC (Brown et al, 2018; Lavelle et al, 2006). Earthworm burrowing activity also increases soil porosity and improves water infiltration and gas diffusion in the soil profile (Barros, Curmi, Hallaire, Chauvel, & Lavelle, 2001; Nuutinen, Butt, Hyväluoma, Ketoja, & Mikola, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Earthworms in Brazilian no‐tillage agriculture: Current status and future challenges

Demetrio

Ribeiro

Nadolny

et al. 2019

European J Soil Science

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No-tillage (NT) agriculture represents a great advance in soil conservation in tropical and subtropical zones, occupying more than 32 million ha in Brazil in 2017. No-tillage systems can promote earthworm populations, which can improve soil physical and chemical properties, thus enhancing the benefits of NT for soil conservation and ecosystem services. Furthermore, earthworms can be used as indicators of the quality of NT systems. Here, we summarize the studies that evaluated earthworm populations in NT systems between 1986 and 2016 in Brazil, highlighting important gaps in knowledge. The studies were highly skewed geographically, with most data from southern and southeastern Brazil, and had very little information from the two states with the greatest NT area (Mato Grosso and Rio Grande do Sul) which together represent 43% of Brazilʼs NT area. Abundance values ranged from 0 to 660 ind. m −2 , with a mean of 91 ± 129 ind. m −2 (±SD), and at least 33 species were identified in NT systems. However, 73% of sites were considered to have poor and moderate soil quality based on their earthworm populations, raising concern regarding soil quality levels in Brazilian NT systems. Climate, soil and management conditions are important drivers of earthworm populations in Brazilian NT systems and future earthworm surveys in NT systems should provide ample data on these attributes, as well as on earthworm species, in order to improve their use as soil quality bioindicators. Highlights

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The role of soil fauna in soil health and delivery of ecosystem services

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

A “Dirty” Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils

A “Dirty” Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils

Earthworm species occurrence in agroecosystems in the Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Earthworms in Brazilian no‐tillage agriculture: Current status and future challenges

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