Tree Species Identity Shapes Earthworm Communities

Earthworms are key organisms in forest ecosystems because they incorporate organic material into the soil and affect the activity of other soil organisms. Here, we investigated how tree species affect earthworm communities via litter and soil characteristics. In a 36-year old common garden experimen...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forests 2017-03, Vol.8 (3), p.85
Main Authors: Schelfhout, Stephanie, Mertens, Jan, Verheyen, Kris, Vesterdal, Lars, Baeten, Lander, Muys, Bart, De Schrijver, An
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acer pseudoplatanus
Acidification
Acids
Beech
biogeochemistry
biological indicator of soil quality
Calcium
Communities
Ecosystems
Fagus sylvatica
Flooring
Forests
Fraxinus excelsior
Leaf litter
litter quality
Moisture content
Oligochaeta
Organic chemistry
Picea abies
plant–soil interactions
Quercus robur
Soil acidification
Soil characteristics
Soil chemistry
soil fauna
Soil investigations
Soil lime
Soil moisture
Soils
Species
Terrestrial ecosystems
Tilia cordata
Trees
Turnover rate
Worms
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Earthworms are key organisms in forest ecosystems because they incorporate organic material into the soil and affect the activity of other soil organisms. Here, we investigated how tree species affect earthworm communities via litter and soil characteristics. In a 36-year old common garden experiment, replicated six times over Denmark, six tree species were planted in blocks: sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), beech (Fagus sylvatica), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Norway spruce (Picea abies), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) and lime (Tilia cordata). We studied the chemical characteristics of soil and foliar litter, and determined the forest floor turnover rate and the density and biomass of the earthworm species occurring in the stands. Tree species significantly affected earthworm communities via leaf litter and/or soil characteristics. Anecic earthworms were abundant under Fraxinus, Acer and Tilia, which is related to calcium-rich litter and low soil acidification. Epigeic earthworms were indifferent to calcium content in leaf litter and were shown to be mainly related to soil moisture content and litter C:P ratios. Almost no earthworms were found in Picea stands, likely because of the combined effects of recalcitrant litter, low pH and low soil moisture content.
ISSN:1999-4907
1999-4907
DOI:10.3390/f8030085