Effect of soil organic matter quality on its assimilation by Millsonia anomala, a tropical geophagous earthwrom
1992
Martin, A. | Lavelle, P.
Assimilation by Millsonia anomala of organic material of decreasing quality (i.e. plant debris at various stages of decomposition, and particle size fractions of soil organic matter) was investigated using cultural and labelling techniques. Assimilation rates were highest with fresh organic matter (undecomposed plant debris or incubated for 2 weeks) and with leaf material rather than root material; this partly results from the high content of watersoluble compounds and the high N availability in fresh organic matter. Earthworm labelling experiments based on 13C showed that after several weeks of decomposition, the nutritive value of plant material rapidly decreases to become equivalent to that of the coarse and fine fractions of the soil organic matter.
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