Charcoal consumption and casting activity by Pontoscolex corethrurus (Glossoscolecidae)

Submitted by Erin Rasmussen on April 22, 2009 - 1:21pm

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

St; Jean-Fran

Source:

Applied Soil Ecology, Volume 28, Number 3, p.217-224 (2005)

URL:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T4B-4DJ4VJ8-2&_user=5375426&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=5375426&md5=35c6c43eeeee24522cfedf236765938a

Keywords:

Fallow, Forest, Population origin, Slash-and-burn, Soil ingestion, Tropical earthworms

Abstract:

The endogeic earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus (Glossoscolecidae) is a peregrine species commonly found in tropical lands cleared by man for cultivation. We compared the charcoal consumption and casting activity of a population of P. corethrurus from a cultivated area under repeated slash-and-burn (fallow population) with that of a population from a field cultivated after recent burning of a mature forest (forest population). Their cast production was measured in containers in the presence of pure charcoal, soil of fallow and forest origin, or a mixture of charcoal and soil. The forest population defecated less in pure charcoal than in forest soil, whereas the reverse was observed for the fallow population. When living in fallow soil, both populations defecated more at the surface of a mixture of charcoal and soil than at the surface of pure soil (

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