Original title:
Earthworm communities in spruce forest soils - effects of some natural and anthropogenic factors
Authors:
Pižl, Václav Document type: Papers Conference/Event: Central European Workshop on Soil Zoology /6./, České Budějovice (CZ), 2001-04-23 / 2001-04-25
Year:
2002
Language:
eng Abstract:
Earthworm fauna was analysed and compared in 22 natural and man-made spruce forests located in seven regions of the Czech Republic. 14 species of earthworms were identified; among which acidotolerant epigeic species Dendrobaena octaedra, D. illyrica, Dendrodrilus rubidus, Dendrobaena vejdovskyi and Lumbricus rubellus were most frequently recorded. Poor earthworm communities (1-4 species, density 1,2 - 38,4 ind.m-2) inhabited majority of sites. Nevertheless, strong differences occured in their species composition reflecting both the geographical position of sites and the origin of individual forests. Higher density and/or per-site number, of species were always connected with the presence of specific habitats such as water sources, brooks, wood or bark heaps, etc. Earthworm faunas in damaged mountain spruce forests tended to be more abundant than in undamaged forests and to have higher number of species. Denser earthworm populations developed at sites where dead trees were left than at clear-cut ones.
Keywords:
earthworms; forest dieback; spruce forests Project no.: GA206/99/1416 (CEP), SE/610/10/00 (CEP), CEZ:AV0Z6066911 (CEP) Funding provider: GA ČR, GA MŽP Host item entry: Studies on Soil Fauna in Central Europe, Proceedings of the 6th Central European Workshop on Soil Zoology, ISBN 80-86525-00-7
Institution: Institute of Soil Biology AS ČR
(web)
Document availability information: Fulltext is available at the institute of the Academy of Sciences. Original record: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0102046