Search results for "Earthworm"

2021

Abstract Contaminated soils are lands in Europe deemed less favourable for conventional agriculture. To overcome the problem of their poor fertility, bio-fertilization could be a promising approach. Soil inoculation with a choice of biological species (e.g. earthworm, mycorrhizal fungi, diazotroph bacteria) can be performed in order to improve soil properties and promote nutrients recycling. However, questions arise concerning the dynamics of the contaminants in an inoculated soil. The aim of this study was to highlight the soil-plant-earthworm interactions in the case of a slightly contaminated soil. For this purpose, a pot experiment in controlled conditions was carried out during 2 month…

Anthropogenic lead distribution in soils under arable land and permanent grassland estimated by Pb isotopic compositions

2008

International audience; The role of land use on fate of metals in soils is poorly understood. In this work, we studied the incorporation of lead in two neighboring soils with comparable pedogenesis but under long-term different agricultural management. Distributions of anthropogenic Pb were assessed from concentrations and isotopic compositions determined on bulk horizon samples, systematical 5–10 cm increment samples, and on 24-h EDTA extracts. Minor amounts of anthropogenic lead were detected until 1-m depth under permanent grassland, linked to high earthworm activity. In arable land, exogenous Pb predominantly accumulated at depths <60 cm. Although the proximity between the two sites ens…

Humusica 2, article 19: Techno humus systems and global change - Conservation agriculture and 4/1000 proposal

2018

International audience; Philosophy can overlap pedology. It is not casual that life begins and finishes in the soil. We separated the concepts of Humipedon, Copedon and Lithopedon. Some sections were dedicated to the founders of the movement for a new type of agriculture (agroecology). They simply proclaim to accompany the process of natural evolution instead of spending a lot of energy in hunting competitor organisms with pesticides or boosting the soil with mineral fertilisation and tillage. The core of the article is built on a biological concept of the soil and shows researches supporting this view. After pointing to the soil structure and illustrating its natural genesis, explaining wh…

Rapid dissemination of Mycobacterium bovis from cattle dung to soil by the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris

2016

International audience; Indirect transmission of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), between wildlife and livestock is thought to occur by inhalation or ingestion of environmental substrates contaminated through animal shedding. The role of the soil fauna, such as earthworms, in the circulation of M. bovis from contaminated animal feces is of interest in the epidemiology of bTB. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of earthworm activity on M. bovis transfer from animal dung to castings and the surrounding soil. For this purpose, microcosms of soil containing the anecic eathworms Lumbricus terrestris were prepared and covered with cattle fec…

Variation in gene expression within clones of the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra

2017

Gene expression is highly plastic, which can help organisms to both acclimate and adapt to changing environments. Possible variation in gene expression among individuals with the same genotype (among clones) is not widely considered, even though it could impact the results of studies that focus on gene expression phenotypes, for example studies using clonal lines. We examined the extent of within and between clone variation in gene expression in the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra, which reproduces through apomictic parthenogenesis. Five microsatellite markers were developed and used to confirm that offspring are genetic clones of their parent. After that, expression of 12 genes was measured…

Impact of genetic diversity of an earthworm on decomposition and ecosystem functioning

2020

Abstract Ecosystem functioning is affected positively by increased biodiversity, through complementary functions of multiple species or because high-functioning species are more likely in a species-rich community. Genetic diversity is one level of biodiversity that has been shown to positively affect ecosystem functioning. Whether the genetic diversity of a key decomposer species affects decomposition processes, and ecosystem functioning in general, is still unknown. We compared low and high genetic diversity assemblages of the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra in two different experiments: using microcosms containing a simple community of other decomposer animals (some nematodes and other mic…

Comment on “Global distribution of earthworm diversity”

2021

Phillips et al . (Reports, 25 October 2019, p. 480) incorrectly conclude that tropical earthworm communities are less diverse and abundant than temperate communities. This result is an artifact generated by some low-quality datasets, lower sampling intensity in the tropics, different patterns in richness-area relationships, the occurrence of invasive species in managed soils, and a focus on local rather than regional richness.

Functional responses of multitaxa communities to disturbance and stress gradients in a restored floodplain

2015

Trait-based approaches can reveal the mechanisms through which disturbances or stress impact communities, allowing comparisons of the role of different mechanisms in shaping communities among taxonomic groups. Such information can lead to higher comparability, transferability and predictability of the outcome of restoration projects. However, multitaxa trait-based approaches were rarely used in the context of ecosystem restoration. We investigated the responses to environmental gradients of seven taxa (vascular plants, staphylinid and carabid beetles, spiders, isopods, diplopods and earthworms) in a restored floodplain using a species traits approach. We assessed the impact of flood disturb…

Data from: Functional responses of multi-taxa communities to disturbance and stress gradients in a restored floodplain

2015

1. Trait-based approaches can reveal the mechanisms through which disturbances or stress impact communities, allowing comparisons of the role of different mechanisms in shaping communities among taxonomic groups. Such information can lead to higher comparability, transferability and predictability of the outcome of restoration projects. However, multitaxa trait-based approaches were rarely used in the context of ecosystem restoration. 2. We investigated the responses to environmental gradients of seven taxa (vascular plants, staphylinid and carabid beetles, spiders, isopods, diplopods and earthworms) in a restored floodplain using a species traits approach. We assessed the impact of flood d…

Avoidance of Cu- and Zn-contaminated soil by three ecologically different earthworm species

2005

Earthworm avoidance response to soils contaminated with harmful substances has been proposed as a potential tool for assessing soil toxicity with low test effort. In the present study, the objective was to find out whether three ecologically different earthworm species, Aporrectodea tuberculata (Eisen), Lumbricus rubellus (Hoffmeister), and Dendrobaena octaedra (Savigny), avoid soils simultaneously spiked with Cu and Zn. In addition, metal-contaminated field soil taken close to a Cu-Ni smelter was tested with A. tuberculata using a two-section avoidance lest procedure. All three earthworm species clearly avoided Cu/Zn contaminated soil but differently: D. octaedra was the most sensitive spe…