The role of earthworms (Lumbricidae) in transformations of organic matter and in the nutrient cycling in the soils of ley meadows and permanent meadows

Makulec, Grzegorz; Kusińska, Alina

doi:ISSN 0420-9036

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The role of earthworms (Lumbricidae) in transformations of organic matter and in the nutrient cycling in the soils of ley meadows and permanent meadows Makulec, GrzegorzKusińska, Alina

Object structure

The role of earthworms (Lumbricidae) in transformations of organic matter and in the nutrient cycling in the soils of ley meadows and permanent meadows

Role of earthworms in transformations of organic matter ; Plant and animal diversity, succession and decomposition processes in grasslands : case studies in Suwałki Landscape Park (north-eastern Poland)

Makulec, Grzegorz ; Kusińska, Alina

Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Ekologii

Oficyna Wydawnicza Instytutu Ekologii PAN

Dziekanów Leśny

1997

Strony 825-837 ; 27 cm ; Bibliografia na stronie 837 ; Streszczenie w języku polskim

Czasopismo/Artykuł

casts ; Lumbricidae ; meadows ; exchangeable elements

Analysis concerned the carbon content, main fractions of soil humus, total nitrogen content and contents of selected exchangeable elements (P-PO4, K, Ca, Mg and Mn) in the casts produced by earthworms, and in the upper layers of the soil, on several leys and permanent meadows. The percentage contents of C, fulvic acids and humic acids are always higher in casts than in the soil and rise along the sequence from younger to older meadows. The content of total nitrogen is also clearly greater in earthworm casts than in the soil and the C/N ratio rises along the sequence to older meadows. Exchangeable elements other than manganese show similar trends. It is shown that these trends probably result from changes in the proportions of two dominant species of Lumbricidae with alternate feeding specializations, namely the geophagous Aporrectodea caliginosa (Sav.) and the detritivorous Lumbricus rubellus Hoffm.

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