The effect of the burrows of a crayfish on the respiration of the surrounding soil

Abstract

The carbon dioxide production of soil samples taken from around five burrows of the crayfish Parastacoides tasmanicus, living in peat soil in south-western Tasmania, was measured by gas chromatography. Respiration rate per unit dry weight of soil varied significantly between burrows, between samples taken from the upper and lower parts of the burrows and between samples taken further into the soil laterally from the edge of the burrows. When expressed per unit of organic content, respiration rate differed significantly only in samples taken progressively further away from the burrow edge. It is suggested that the burrow provides a shorter diffusion path for gases, ameliorating anaerobic conditions in the surrounding soil, encouraging the growth of fungi and rootlets and consequently increasing the respiration rate.