Abstract
The paper describes the earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa caliginosa (Savigny, 1826) of class Clitellata, order Opisthopora and family Lumbricidae, from Kashmir Valley, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Previously the species was recorded from Himachal Pradesh, and in the present study the species is reported from Gulmarg forest within the geographical coordinates of (34.0500N & 74.3880E). During the study the seasonal variation of A.c. caliginosa in terms of density and biomass along with the soil physiochemical characteristics were reported. A.c. caliginosa showed significant variation in density (t=3.34, p<0.044) and biomass (t=3.40, p<0.042) among different seasons, with maximum density (129.6/m2) and biomass (26.90g/m2) during spring, and minimal values of 34.33/m2 and 6.94g/m2 during winter respectively. Soil physiochemical characteristics also varied significantly among seasons.
Highlights
Human activities are causing major shifts in the community composition of biological systems by transporting species across biogeographic barriers (Wardle & Peltzer 2017)
The taxonomic status of the taxa within A. caliginosa species complex is a matter of debate for more than a century
A. caliginosa s.s., A. trapezoides, and A. nocturna were initially described as distinct species, whereas A. tuberculata was described as a subspecies of A. caliginosa
Summary
Human activities are causing major shifts in the community composition of biological systems by transporting species across biogeographic barriers (Wardle & Peltzer 2017). In comparison to other Asian countries, earthworms are well studied in India (Bisht et al 2003; Tripathi & Bhardwaj 2004; Sathianarayanan & Khan 2006; Karmegam & Daniel 2007; Chaudhuri et al 2008; Goswami & Mondal 2015; Deepthi & Kathireswari 2016; Narayanan et al 2017, 2019; Rajwar et al 2018; Lone et al 2020), while there is paucity of information on the earthworms of the Kashmir Valley aside from the important contributions of Stephenson (1922), Sharma & Kaul (1974), Paliwal & Julka (2005), Najar & Khan (2011a,b,c, 2014), and Mir & Najar (2016). Gulmarg is located in the Pir Pinjal range of the Himalayan Mountains of Kashmir Valley (Jammu & Kashmir) India It is at a distance of 52km from Srinagar, the capital of Jammu & Kashmir to its southwest, at an altitude of 2,450m (Fig. 1). The dominant tree species at the site is P. wallichaina with a rich ground cover comprising of Leucanthemu vulgare, Cyanodon dectylon, and Trifolium repens
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
