Effect of food type and placement on earthworm (Aporrectodea tuberculata) burrowing and soil turnover

Abstract

Subsurface-dwelling Aporrectodea tuberculata, a common earthworm in Upper-Midwest (USA) agricultural fields, may be a significant component of agroeco-systems with regard to soil mixing and preferential transport of water and chemicals. In this study we looked at effects of food residue placement and food type on A. tuberculata burrowing and soil turnover in two-dimensional Evans box microcosms. Four food residue placements mimicked patterns induced by primary tillage and two food types, readily available and natural food sources, with no food as a control. An average earthworm population of 100 earthworms m-2 was calculated to generate 1058 km ha-1 of new burrows and turnover 7.9 Mg ha-1 of soil in 1 week of activity at 20°C. Burrowing was random until food sources were encountered, at which time burrowing appeared to center around the food source.