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Soil temperature and moisture-based estimation of rates of soil aggregate formation by the endogeic earthworm Eisenia japonica (Michaelsen, 1892)

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Abstract

Ecological importance of earthworm via aggregate production has been well studied in Europe, but much less is known for Asian species. Assessing the effects of temperature and moisture on the soil aggregate formation by earthworms is a logical step towards the quantification of earthworm’s function in ecosystem. Here, we estimated soil temperature and moisture-based rate of aggregate formation by the earthworm Eisenia japonica (Michaelsen, 1892), which is distributed widely in Japan and South Korea. Based on the data obtained from 1-week laboratory incubations, we developed a model describing the aggregate formation rate by earthworm as a function of body mass, soil temperature, and soil moisture. We then applied the model to a field mesocosm experiment. While the aggregate production rates predicted by the model were slightly underestimated, the estimated values showed significant positive correlation with the measured field data (P < 0.001). The empirical model developed here was therefore applicable to the field condition studied, implying that our approach would help to quantify and predict the ecological function of earthworm.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. H. Iino, Mr. K. Abe, Mr. T. Okada, Mr. K. Watanabe, and Mr. T. Ara (National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences) for their help with the experiments. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 24580489.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, 3-1-3 Kannondai, Tsukuba, 305-8604, Japan

    Satoshi Kaneda, Rota Wagai & Yasumi Yagasaki

  2. International Nature Farming Research Center, 5632-1 Hata, Matsumoto, 390-1401, Japan

    Shinji Ohkubo

  3. Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Yasumi Yagasaki

Authors
  1. Satoshi Kaneda
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  2. Shinji Ohkubo
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  3. Rota Wagai
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  4. Yasumi Yagasaki
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satoshi Kaneda.

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ESM 1

Relationship between cultured soil mass and soil aggregate formation rate. Each value is the mean of three samples ± se. Soil aggregates are measured on a dry-weight basis. Water-holding capacity, 40 %; soil temperature, 15 °C; 1 week incubation; mean and se of earthworm body mass used in all treatment are 0.218 g and 0.013 g. (PPTX 37 kb)

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Kaneda, S., Ohkubo, S., Wagai, R. et al. Soil temperature and moisture-based estimation of rates of soil aggregate formation by the endogeic earthworm Eisenia japonica (Michaelsen, 1892). Biol Fertil Soils 52, 789–797 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-016-1119-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-016-1119-3

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