Properties of Worm Casts Under Secondary Tropical Forest Regrowth

Vleeschauwer, D. De; Lal, R.

doi:10.1097/00010694-198108000-00007

Cited by 62 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…Burrowing and casting activities are known to affect soil porosity and aggregate size distribution, stability, aeration and hydraulic conductivity (Edwards and Bohlen 1996;Shipitalo and Protz 1989). Finally, earthworms influence plant growth by changing the spatiotemporal availability of nutrients -mainly phosphorus (Le Bayon and Binet 2006), nitrogen (Devleeschauwer and Lal 1981) and carbon (Guggenberger et al 1996) -in their casts and burrow walls.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root, mycorrhiza and earthworm interactions: their effects on soil structuring processes, plant and soil nutrient concentration and plant biomass

2008

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Earthworms, arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) and roots are important components of the belowground part of terrestrial ecosystem. However, their interacting effects on soil properties and plant growth are still poorly understood. A compartmental experimental design was used in a climate chamber in order to investigate, without phosphorus (P) addition, the single and combined effects of earthworms (Allolobophora chlorotica), AMF (Glomus intraradices) and roots (Allium porrum) on soil structure, nutrient concentration and plant growth. In our experimental conditions, plant roots improved soil structure stability (at the level of macroaggregates) whereas earthworms decreased it. AMF had no effect on soil structure stability but increased P transfer from the soil to the plant and significantly increased plant biomass. Earthworms had no direct influence on P uptake or plant biomass, and the N/P ratio measured in the shoots indicated that P was limiting. Interactions between AMF and earthworms were also observed on total C and N content in the soil and on total root biomass. Their effects varied temporally and between the different soil compartments (bulk soil, rhizosphere and drilosphere). After comparison with other similar studies, we suggest that effects of earthworms and AMF on plant production may depend on the limiting factors in the soil, mainly N or P. Our experiment highlights the importance of measuring physical and chemical soil parameters when studying soil organism interactions and their influence on plant performance.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root, mycorrhiza and earthworm interactions: their effects on soil structuring processes, plant and soil nutrient concentration and plant biomass

2008

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“…Moreover, in this study surface casts contained more concentration of nutrients than the parental soils that indicated the nutrient transformation and mineralization process in ingested material mainly driven by earthworms. De Vleeschauwer and Lal (1981) observed more organic C, total N, available P, and exchangeable cations in earthworm casts than the parent soil from which the casts were derived. Therefore, vegetation type has a strong influence on soil fertility and casts quantity.…”

Section: Nutrient Content Of Worm Casts and Canopy Soils: Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 93%

Earthworm density, casting activities and its impact on canopy soil nutrient profile under different aboveground vegetations

Suthar

2011

Environmentalist

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Efforts were made to assess the earthworm's density and their casting activity under different surface plant stands (Citrus reticulata, Rosa indica, Citrus ? Rosa, Tabernaemontana divaricata, Dalbergia sissoo, and Cynodon dactylon) at few natural and planted sites of a semiarid part of Rajasthan, India. The role of earthworm community in nutrient dynamics of different layers of canopy soils was also measured during this study. Results suggested a direct impact of aboveground vegetation cover on soil microclimatic conditions and earthworm density. The maximum earthworm population density and casts production was under mixed plantation, i.e., Citrus ? Rosa (119.2 ind. m -2 and 2,127.27 gm m 2 , respectively), while T. divaricata supported the minimum earthworm density and casting activities. The population density and total casts production was in the order: C. reticulata ?divaricata. Earthworm casts and canopy soils (0-10 and 10-20 cm depth) under different plant stand were analyzed for organic C, total N, available P, and exchangeable cations (K ? , Ca 2? and Mg 2? ). Earthworm casts collected under Citrus ? Rosa showed the maximum level of organic C, total N, available P, and exchangeable cations (K ? and Mg 2? ). It is concluded that resource input by standing plant community directly affects the canopy soil quality and, thereby nutrient level in earthworm casts. This study suggested that aboveground vegetation pattern plays an important role to improve the nutrient level of canopy soils and belowground earthworm activities.

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“…Numerous studies report results on chemical or physicochemical properties of earthworm casts, i.e., the by-products of gut passage, in comparison with surrounding soil. Most of these studies show that casts are characterized by higher P content, especially water-soluble or available (Bray-or Truog-P) P content (e.g., Nijhawan and Kanwar 1952;Bates 1960;Gupta and Sakal 1967;Graff 1970;Sharpley and Syers 1976;review in Edwards 1981;de Vleeschauwer andLal 1981, review in Lal 1987;Mulongoy and Bedoret 1989;López-Hernández et al 1993). …”

Section: Phosphorus Contents and Forms In Earthworm Biogenic Structuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Soil Macrofauna in Phosphorus Cycling

Chapuis‐Lardy¹,

Bayon

Brossard

et al. 2010

Soil Biology

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Properties of Worm Casts Under Secondary Tropical Forest Regrowth

Cited by 62 publications

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Root, mycorrhiza and earthworm interactions: their effects on soil structuring processes, plant and soil nutrient concentration and plant biomass

Root, mycorrhiza and earthworm interactions: their effects on soil structuring processes, plant and soil nutrient concentration and plant biomass

Earthworm density, casting activities and its impact on canopy soil nutrient profile under different aboveground vegetations

Role of Soil Macrofauna in Phosphorus Cycling

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