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Factors Affecting Distribution of Earthworms in Kashmir Valley: A Multivariate Statistical Approach

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Abstract

Soil characteristics influence earthworm population dynamics, species distribution and community structure. According in the present study an attempt was made to determine the soil physiochemical factors influencing earthworms of Kashmir valley with a view to improve the soil productivity by enhancing earthworm diversity under different pedoecosystems. Data collection on 15 soil parameters from 20 earthworm inhabiting sites revealed significant variation within and among the sites in soil temperature (F23, 19 = 148.83, 9.71; P < 0.05), moisture (F23, 19 = 16.91, 46.20; P < 0.05), pH (F19 = 47.21; P < 0.05), electrical conductivity (F23, 19 = 11.67, 87.13; P < 0.05), sodium (F23, 19 = 2.46, 211.25; P < 0.05), potassium (F19 = 22.91; P < 0.05), calcium (F19 = 15.90; P < 0.05), magnesium (F23, 19 = 1.76, 104.51; P < 0.05), organic carbon (F23, 19 = 64.60, 222.50; P < 0.05), organic nitrogen (F23, 19 = 4.59, 3.81; P < 0.05) and phosphorous (F23, 19 = 5.11, 137.87; P < 0.05). Aporrectodea caliginosa trapezoides and A. rosea rosea exhibited wide range of distribution whereas Octolasion cyaneum, A. c. trapezoides and A. parva showed restricted distribution. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped 20 earthworm collection sites into three clusters—earthworm absent sites, low earthworm diversity sites and moderate earthworm diversity sites. Principal component analysis assisted from the data set of 20 sites, resulting into four latent factors accounting for 77.95 % of total variance, identified the factors affecting earthworm communities are mainly related to physical habitat factor, chemical factor, soil texture factor and growth factor, each accounting for 26.41, 20.16, 18.25 and 13.13 % of total variance respectively.

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Acknowledgments

Authors express thanks to Dr. J. M. Julka and Dr. R. Paliwal of Zoological Survey of India, for taxonomic identification of the earthworm species and Dr. Abdul Hai, Head, Hydrobiology Research Laboratory, Kashmir for providing laboratory facilities.

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  1. Hydrobiology Research Laboratory, S.P College, Kashmir, 190001, India

    Ishtiyaq Ahmed Najar

  2. Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry Central University, Puducherry, 605014, India

    Anisa B. Khan

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Najar, I.A., Khan, A.B. Factors Affecting Distribution of Earthworms in Kashmir Valley: A Multivariate Statistical Approach. Proc Zool Soc 67, 126–135 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-013-0081-4

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