Impact of Soil Fauna on the Properties of Soils in the Humid Tropics

Lavelle, Patrick; Blanchart, Éric; Martin, A.; Spain, A. V.; Martin, S.

doi:10.2136/sssaspecpub29.c9

Cited by 93 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Earthworms change the soil structure by modifying soil aggregation and porosity (Shipitalo and Le Bayon 2004;Blouin et al 2013;Hallam et al 2020). Aggregates and the space between them allow the retention and exchange of both air and water (Guber et al 2004;Saha and Kukal 2015) and thus affect water flow and retention and soil aeration (Bastardie et al 2003;Capowiez et al 2014Capowiez et al , 2015Hallam et al 2020;Lavelle et al 1992). Additionally, soil aggregates contain the majority of organic carbon in soil and contribute to nutrient release for plant growth (Cornforth 1968;Ramachandran Nair et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of different earthworm ecotypes on water stable aggregates and soil water holding capacity

Hallam

Hodson

2020

Biol Fertil Soils

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We carried out mesocosm experiments using either the anecic earthworm Lumbricus terrestris or the endogeic earthworm Allolobophora chlorotica and loam, silt loam and sandy loam soils to investigate the differing impact of these earthworm of different ecotypes on aggregate formation (percentage water stable aggregates, %WSA) and soil water holding capacity (WHC), two soil properties that underpin many of the ecosystem services provided by soils. Earthworms significantly increased %WSA (by 16-56% and 19-63% relative to earthworm-free controls for L. terrestris and A. chlorotica, respectively). For L. terrestris, this increase was significantly greater in the upper 6.5 cm of the soil where their casts were more obviously present. Allobophora chlorotica treatments significantly increased WHC by 7-16%. L. terrestris only caused a significant increase in WHC (of 11%) in the upper 6.5 cm of the sandy loam soil. Linear regression indicated a consistent relationship between increases in %WSA and WHC for both earthworm species. However, for a given %WSA, WHC was higher for A. chlorotica than L. terrestris likely due to the known differences in their burrow structure. Overall, earthworms increased soil %WSA and WHC but the significant species/ecotype differences need to be considered in discussions of the beneficial impacts of earthworms to soil properties.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of different earthworm ecotypes on water stable aggregates and soil water holding capacity

Hallam

Hodson

2020

Biol Fertil Soils

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“…Um bom exemplo disso são os corós (larvas de besouros escarabeídeos), que se enterram no solo e levam consigo uma grande quantidade de matéria orgânica (Brown et al, 2001). Lavelle et al (1992), a interação da fauna de solo com os microrganismos e as plantas ocasiona a modificação funcional e estrutural do solo, exercendo uma regulação sobre os processos de decomposição e ciclagem de nutrientes (Correia;Oliveira, 2006).…”

Section: A Fauna Edáficaunclassified

“…Os nutrientes retidos nas estruturas dos térmitas, ninhos e galerias retornam para o solo por erosão, possibilitando que ocorra um mosaico de nutrientes na paisagem, preservando a diversidade ecológica (Lavelle et al, 1992).…”

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Meio Ambiente em Foco - Volume 4

Toledo¹,

Leite²,

Pereira³

et al. 2019

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“…The species composition and abundance of the soil fauna are influenced by the geographical location climate, physical and chemical properties of the soil, type of vegetation cover, nature and depth of the litter and humus and a variety of other environmental factors. Moreover, soil animals are directly associated with the soil structure through fecal deposition and drilling of pores [200] and commonly show a non-random distribution with small localized pockets of high density [201]. Thus the fauna of the soil may vary considerably from one locality to another.…”

Section: Ecological Study Of Soil Faunamentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Fauna: A Retrospection with Reference to Indian Soil

2016

International Journal of Research Studies in Zoology

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Soil is a living, dynamic ecosystem. Healthy soil is packed with microscopic and larger organisms that perform many vital functions including converting dead and decaying matter as well as minerals to plant nutrients. Different soil organisms feed on different organic substrates. Their biological activity depends on the organic matter supply. Nutrient exchanges between organic matter, water and soil are essential to soil fertility and need to be maintained for sustainable production purposes. Where the soil is exploited for crop production without restoring the organic matter and nutrient contents and maintaining a good structure, the nutrient cycles are broken, soil fertility declines and the balance in the agro-ecosystem is destroyed. Soil organic matter-the product of on-site biological decomposition-affects the chemical and physical properties of the soil and its overall health. Soil ecosystem supports a complex of animal communities of which soil arthropods were of prime importance since they constitute the major component of soil mesofauna in all types of soils. The soil arthropods includes a variety of mites, collembolans, pseudoscorpions, centipedes, millipedes, symphylans, diplurans, proturans, hymenopterans, coleopterans etc. they play an important role in releasing nutrients and improve productivity within the forest ecosystem (less disturbed ecosystem) by decomposition process. Mostly they are present with numerically abundant in the undisturbed, natural forest. Among the soil arthropod Acarina and Collembola are the most diverse as well as abundant group. The present article reviews the research work done in this field with reference to India. A detail account of update distribution of acarines and collembolans (bulk of the soil fauna) and their ecology was given.

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Impact of Soil Fauna on the Properties of Soils in the Humid Tropics

Cited by 93 publications

References 45 publications

Impact of different earthworm ecotypes on water stable aggregates and soil water holding capacity

Impact of different earthworm ecotypes on water stable aggregates and soil water holding capacity

Meio Ambiente em Foco - Volume 4

Soil Fauna: A Retrospection with Reference to Indian Soil

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