Weight gain and weight loss of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris L. at different temperatures and body weights

Daniel, Otto; Kohli, Lukas; Bieri, Martin

doi:10.1016/0038-0717(96)00121-6

Cited by 53 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…We are aware of only one study that has investigated the development time of L. terrestris under field conditions (Lakhani and Satchell 1970). Butt et al (1994) found that the time to maturity for L. terrestris hatchlings under optimal laboratory conditions was 30 weeks, while Daniel et al (1996) found L. terrestris grown at 20°C reached maturity in about 10 weeks. These development times are much shorter than the 2 years we used to estimate production by Lumbricus spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Earthworm secondary production and N flux in agroecosystems: a comparison of two approaches

Whalen

Parmelee

2000

Oecologia

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Production was estimated for Aporrectodea spp. and Lumbricus spp. populations in corn agroecosystems with a 5-year history of manure or inorganic fertilizer applications during 1994-1995 and 1995-1996. Earthworm biomass and production were greater in manure than inorganic fertilizer plots, although biomass and production declined by about 50% between 1994-1995 and 1995-1996 due to unfavorable climatic conditions. Production was highest during the spring and autumn when soil temperatures were between 4 and 22°C. Production was higher in Lumbricus spp. than Aporrectodea spp. populations due to greater Lumbricus spp. biomass. Aporrectodea spp. production was 3.47-16.14 g ash-free dry weight (AFDW) m year, while Lumbricus spp. production was 6.09-18.11 g AFDW m year, depending on the fertilizer treatment and the method used to estimate production. However, production estimates from the instantaneous growth rate method were within 27% of the values calculated using the size-frequency method. Nitrogen flux through earthworms was used to estimate efficiency quotients. Net production efficiency (P/A) ranged from 0.64 to 0.76, assimilation efficiency (A/C) ranged from 0.1 to 0.3, and gross production efficiency (P/C) ranged from 0.06 to 0.22. Annual N flux through earthworm populations was higher in manure than inorganic fertilizer plots, and ranged from 2.95 to 5.47 g N m year in 1994-1995 and 1.76 to 2.92 g N m year in 1995-1996. The N flux through earthworms represented an amount equivalent to 16-30% of crop N uptake during 1994-1995 and 11-18% of crop N uptake during 1995-1996. We concluded that the effects of earthworms on N cycling in corn agroecosystems were substantial, and that N flux through earthworms was influenced significantly by fertilizer amendments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Earthworm secondary production and N flux in agroecosystems: a comparison of two approaches

Whalen

Parmelee

2000

Oecologia

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“…Although there is no way to definitively confirm that earthworm loss was due to mortality rather than escape, there are several reasons to suggest that mortality was the likely explanation. First, earthworms in the stockpiled soil treatment experienced substantial weight loss and some disappearance, suggesting that these were unfavourable conditions for the persistence of this species (Daniel et al, 1996). If earthworms were vacating pots on the basis of unfavourable conditions, this should also have been observed in the stockpile treatment, but earthworm loss was insignificant in that treatment compared to Happy Valley soil.…”

Section: Earthworm Mortality and Biomassmentioning

confidence: 96%

Using municipal biosolids in ecological restoration: What is good for plants and soil may not be good for endemic earthworms

Waterhouse

Boyer

Adair

et al. 2014

Ecological Engineering

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“…Particularly, it is well known that temperature changes the development and reproductive rate of earthworms (Reinecke 1981). In addition, it was also mentioned that for E. fetida, which lives in compost manure heaps and is subject to decompositional warming, an ideal temperature for adequate survival and cocoon production is within 20-25°C (Presley et al 1996;Daniel et al 1996); then, according to the environmental conditions, the trend of cocoon production continues to a point beyond which the thermal limit of the species is breached, leading to lower growth and reproduction and, as a consequence, a higher mortality (Reinecke and Venter 1987). Thus, in the set of experiments, the variation of temperature (21.6-31°C) either affected the physiological parameters and vital rates (survival, growth and reproduction) or can provoke the interaction with chemical pollutants to form chelants (Olugbenga et al 2008); i.e., important differences temperature regime strong affected population performance of the earthworms and consequently lead fluctuations negative modified biomass, maturity, reproduction and burrowing activity.…”

Section: First Stepmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effect of the Heavy Metals Cu, Ni, Cd and Zn on the Growth and Reproduction of Epigeic Earthworms (E. fetida) during the Vermistabilization of Municipal Sewage Sludge

Domínguez‐Crespo

Sánchez-Hernández

Torres‐Huerta

et al. 2011

Water Air Soil Pollut

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In order to enhance the removal of heavy metals such as Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd from wastewater, different cow dung/sewage sludge ratios were tested to assess the effect of these metals on the adaptability of Eisenia fetida earthworms to the treatment process carried out in a typical plant located in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Two experimental water treatment setups were proposed. The first set of experiments was planned to determine the adequate sewage sludge/cow dung ratio(s), whereas the second arrangement was designed to evaluate the growth performance and fecundity of the earthworms under high heavy metal concentrations. To achieve the objectives, the experiments were conducted for 90 days under controlled environmental conditions. Maximum worm biomass and growth rates were attained in samples containing 25 wt.% of sewage sludge. Weight and mortality of worms were significantly affected by the high levels of heavy metals, making difficult the metal accumulation in the worm tissues.

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Weight gain and weight loss of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris L. at different temperatures and body weights

Cited by 53 publications

References 17 publications

Earthworm secondary production and N flux in agroecosystems: a comparison of two approaches

Earthworm secondary production and N flux in agroecosystems: a comparison of two approaches

Using municipal biosolids in ecological restoration: What is good for plants and soil may not be good for endemic earthworms

Effect of the Heavy Metals Cu, Ni, Cd and Zn on the Growth and Reproduction of Epigeic Earthworms (E. fetida) during the Vermistabilization of Municipal Sewage Sludge

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