Abstract
Earthworms are key organisms in forest ecosystems because they incorporate organic material into the soil and affect the activity of other soil organisms. Here, we investigated how tree species affect earthworm communities via litter and soil characteristics. In a 36-year old common garden experiment, replicated six times over Denmark, six tree species were planted in blocks: sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), beech (Fagus sylvatica), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Norway spruce (Picea abies), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) and lime (Tilia cordata). We studied the chemical characteristics of soil and foliar litter, and determined the forest floor turnover rate and the density and biomass of the earthworm species occurring in the stands. Tree species significantly affected earthworm communities via leaf litter and/or soil characteristics. Anecic earthworms were abundant under Fraxinus, Acer and Tilia, which is related to calcium-rich litter and low soil acidification. Epigeic earthworms were indifferent to calcium content in leaf litter and were shown to be mainly related to soil moisture content and litter C:P ratios. Almost no earthworms were found in Picea stands, likely because of the combined effects of recalcitrant litter, low pH and low soil moisture content.
Highlights
Earthworms have been studied for a long time (e.g., Darwin [1]), and it is known that soil and forest floor characteristics profoundly affect the composition and abundance of earthworm populations [2,3,4]
Earthworm species all have distinct feeding niches varying from fresh leaf litter to humus and even animal dung, fungal hyphae or soil [12]
Earthworm species can be according to their features, habitat habitat choice and Earthworm species canclassified be classified according to morphological their morphological features, choice feeding habits into three ecological groups: groups: epigeic, epigeic, endogeicendogeic and anecic
Summary
Earthworms have been studied for a long time (e.g., Darwin [1]), and it is known that soil and forest floor characteristics profoundly affect the composition and abundance of earthworm populations [2,3,4]. Earthworm species all have distinct feeding niches varying from fresh leaf litter to humus and even animal dung, fungal hyphae or soil [12]. The simultaneous occurrence of species from different ecological groups can can havehave synergistic outcomes, and loss species can lead significant changes in ecological groups synergistic outcomes, and of loss of species can to lead to significant changes the in ecosystem services they provide [13]. First,earthworms, epigeic earthworms, or ‘litter‐dwellers’, are detrivorous on or fresh partially decomposed litter on oron near Earthworm species can be according to their features, habitat habitat choice and Earthworm species canclassified be classified according to morphological their morphological features, choice feeding habits into three ecological groups: groups: epigeic, epigeic, endogeicendogeic and anecic (Figure 1,(Figure [14]). 1, and feeding habits into three ecological andearthworms anecic earthworms
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