Earthworm feeding activity and development of the humus profile

被引:53
作者
Bernier, N [1 ]
机构
[1] Museum Natl Hist Nat, Lab Ecol Gen, F-91800 Brunoy, France
关键词
earthworm casts; earthworm diets; food selection; humus profile; spruce forest;
D O I
10.1007/s003740050370
中图分类号
S15 [土壤学];
学科分类号
0903 ; 090301 ;
摘要
Earthworm casts and digestive tract contents were simultaneously examined, using the same methods, in a recently formed humus profile in a mountain spruce forest. Earthworm species had distinct diets and an earthworm foodweb could be distinguished. Lumbricus terrestris and Aporrectodea icterica were distinct from the other species examined: the former to some extent as a litter consumer, and both species because they excavated mineral material which was deposited within new top layers of the mull humus. Aporrectodea nocturna and Aporrectodea caliginosa both had a non-specific soil feeding mode. Most of the species enriched the humus profile with amorphous organic matter finely incorporated within a mineral matrix. Besides different food selection, a network of burrows was produced as a consequence of the different burrowing behaviour of each earthworm species.
引用
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页码:215 / 223
页数:9
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