Ecosystem Consequences of Exotic Earthworm Invasion of North Temperate Forests

Bohlen, Patrick J.; Groffman, Peter M.; Fahey, Timothy J.; Fisk, Melany C.; Suárez, Esteban; Pelletier, Derek M.; Fahey, Robert T.

doi:10.1007/s10021-003-0126-z

Cited by 238 publications

(165 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…[4,14,16]). The concern is that exotic earthworms modify forest floor structure, soil characteristics and element cycling [3,15], which results in change in other soil biota and loss of native rare understory plant species [12,13,19].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, although the land use history of SERC is well known, we can only speculate what the earthworm community might have been two hundred years ago, when most of the area was in agricultural land use. We can safely assume that the land clearing accelerated spread of non-native earthworms [3], and we also know that earthworms can be abundant in cropfields [11]. Even if at the time of abandonment initial earthworm density is low due to intensive tilling, earthworms can quickly colonize the site and reach very high densities within a few years [20].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Land use change affects earthworm communities in Eastern Maryland, USA

Szlávecz

Csuzdi

2007

European Journal of Soil Biology

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land use change affects earthworm communities in Eastern Maryland, USA

Szlávecz

Csuzdi

2007

European Journal of Soil Biology

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“…If it matters, then there is a potential for their introduction and determination of optimum conditions for maintaining their populations to benefit pasture production. Prior to these introductions, their effects to natural ecosystems should be established because introduced earthworms can have deleterious effects on indigenous ecosystems (Bohlen et al, 2004;Eisenhauer et al, 2007).…”

Section: Earthworm Community Composition In the Waitaki Basin: Comparmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of stock type, irrigation and effluent dispersal on earthworm species composition, densities and biomasses in New Zealand pastures

Manono

Møller

2015

Pedobiologia

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A B S T R A C TWe investigated the effects of grazing stock, irrigation and effluent dispersal on earthworm species compositions, densities and biomasses in 615 locations across 41 farms in the Waitaki Basin, New Zealand, between April and September 2012. No native megascolecid earthworms were found, but four introduced European species were encountered. Among earthworms collected, Aporrectodea caliginosa accounted for 70% of the total, 23% were Lumbricus rubellus and 4% Aporrectodea longa. When compared with untreated locations, total earthworm density was higher by 42% in effluent only locations and 72% in irrigated only locations. Maximum densities and biomasses occurred where both effluent and irrigation were applied. L. rubellus density was 32% higher in effluent only locations, 123% higher in irrigated only locations and 180% higher in effluent and irrigated locations than untreated locations. A. longa occurred in 24% of the sampled locations and appeared to be suppressed in irrigated locations. When equivalent treatments were applied, earthworm densities were 15.4% to 36.6% higher on sheep farms than on dairy farms; earthworm biomasses differed by -3.3% to 55.8% between these two kinds of stock animal farms. Treatment effects on earthworms were evident only in the upper 10 cm soil layer. Effluent and water application may have reduced the risk of desiccation and increased the availability of resources for earthworms. However, local absence of the deep burrowing species (e.g. A. longa) raises concerns about ecosystem functioning. This is a topic that should be explored further.

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“…The difference in C biogeochemistry between conifer and hardwood dominated stands has previously been emphasized. The invasion of European lumbricid earthworms also has the potential to alter C pools; studies of northern hardwood ecosystems in central New York (Bohlen et al 2004) and elsewhere (Alban and Berry 1994) demonstrated that soil C storage may be greatly reduced by earthworm invasion. Lumbricid earthworms have been observed at very low density in the HBEF in recent years (Fahey, personal observation), but the factors limiting their increase and spread are not well understood.…”

Section: Role Of Carbon In Weathering and Metal Transportmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Biogeochemistry of Carbon at Hubbard Brook

et al. 2005

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Abstract. The biogeochemical behavior of carbon in the forested watersheds of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) was analyzed in long-term studies. The largest pools of C in the reference watershed (W6) reside in mineral soil organic matter (43% of total ecosystem C) and living biomass (40.5%), with the remainder in surface detritus (14.5%). Repeated sampling indicated that none of these pools was changing significantly in the late-1990s, although high spatial variability precluded the detection of small changes in the soil organic matter pools, which are large; hence, net ecosystem productivity (NEP) in this 2nd growth forest was near zero (± about 20 g C/m 2 -yr) and probably similar in magnitude to fluvial export of organic C. Aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) of the forest declined by 24% between the late-1950s (462 g C/m 2 -yr) and the late-1990s (354 g C/m 2 -yr), illustrating age-related decline in forest NPP, effects of multiple stresses and unusual tree mortality, or both. Application of the simulation model PnET-II predicted 14% higher ANPP than was observed for 1996-1997, probably reflecting some unknown stresses. Fine litterfall flux (171 g C/m 2 -yr) has not changed much since the late-1960s. Because of high annual variation, C flux in woody litterfall (including tree mortality) was not tightly constrained but averaged about 90 g C/m 2 -yr. Carbon flux to soil organic matter in root turnover (128 g C/m 2 -yr) was only about half as large as aboveground detritus. Balancing the soil C budget requires that large amounts of C (80 g C/m 2 -yr) were transported from roots to rhizosphere carbon flux. Total soil respiration (TSR) ranged from 540 to 800 g C/m 2 -yr across eight stands and decreased with increasing elevation within the northern hardwood forest near W6. The watershedwide TSR was estimated as 660 g C/m 2 -yr. Empirical measurements indicated that 58% of TSR occurred in the surface organic horizons and that root respiration comprised about 40% of TSR, most of the rest being microbial. Carbon flux directly associated with other heterotrophs in the HBEF was minor; for example, we estimated respiration of soil microarthropods, rodents, birds and moose at about 3, 5, 1 and 0.8 g C/m 2 -yr, respectively, or in total less than 2% of NPP. Hence, the effects of other heterotrophs on C flux were primarily indirect, with the exception of occasional 2 -yr) were small, larger quantities of C were transported within the ecosystem and a more substantial fraction of dissolved C was transported from the soil as inorganic C and evaded from the stream as CO 2 (4.0 g C/m 2 -yr). Carbon pools and fluxes change rapidly in response to catastrophic disturbances such as forest harvest or major windthrow events. These changes are dominated by living vegetation and dead wood pools, including roots. If biomass removal does not accompany large-scale disturbance, the ecosystem is a large net source of C to the atmosphere (500-1200 g C/m 2 -yr) for about a decade following disturbance and becomes a net si...

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Ecosystem Consequences of Exotic Earthworm Invasion of North Temperate Forests

Cited by 238 publications

References 76 publications

Land use change affects earthworm communities in Eastern Maryland, USA

Land use change affects earthworm communities in Eastern Maryland, USA

Effects of stock type, irrigation and effluent dispersal on earthworm species composition, densities and biomasses in New Zealand pastures

The Biogeochemistry of Carbon at Hubbard Brook

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