Earthworm community structure in grassland habitats differentiated by climate type during two consecutive seasons

Abstract

Earthworms are increasingly used as soil indicator species in soil quality assessment. Apart from the abundance and biomass, the important parameter that is accounted for is their community composition. The latter is regulated by various abiotic and biotic factors. The aim of this study was to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the characteristics of earthworm communities in grassland habitat differentiated by climate type and elevation during two consecutive seasons. The results obtained indicated an influence of climate and biogeographic history on species composition, species richness and population dynamics at the highest observed scale. The locations situated on the maritime (Mediterranean) slope differed significantly from the locations on the continental slope, according to species composition, the ratio of ecological categories and juvenile to adult ratio. On the lower scale, interspecific interactions were observable. Namely, a pairwise comparison of species pairs showed a low co-occurrence of most species. An understanding of earthworm assemblages and population dynamics in the Mediterranean region is important for biological soil quality assessment, evaluation of climate change impact and similar studies, which present a current challenge in the applied soil ecology research, particularly as research on earthworms has been underrepresented in this region.