Abundance and distribution of earthworms in relation to landscape factors on the Georgia Piedmont, U.S.A
1992
Hendrix, P.F. | Mueller, B.R. | Bruce, R.R. | Langdale, G.W. | Parmelee, R.W.
Abundance and distribution of earthworms were studied on the Georgia Piedmont of the Southeastern U.S.A., at sites representing various ecosystem types, management practices, landscape positions, soil textures and soil erosion status. Earthworm abundance showed distinct seasonal patterns, with winter/spring maxima and summer minima. Numbers and biomass ranged from zero in plowed, mono-cropped soil at an upland site to over 1000 m-2 (> 25 g ash-free dry wt m-2) in no-tillage, double-cropped soil on bottomlands. Numbers and biomass in plowed, double-cropped soil, in a bottomland forest, and in grass meadows at both upland and bottomland sites were intermediate. Soil texture, as influenced by water erosion, strongly affected earthworm abundance. Moderately and severely eroded sandy clay loam supported significantly higher earthworm numbers and biomass than did slightly eroded soil with higher sand content. This effect may have resulted from low organic content and water holding capacity of the sandy soils. Of the soil texture variables, silt content was most highly correlated with earthworm biomass. Earthworm abundance was also related to quantity and quality of plant residue inputs in the agroecosystems, and to standing stocks of soil organic carbon across all sites studied. At most agroecosystem and forest sites, the predominant earthworm species were European lumbricids; native Diplocardia spp were most prominent in a meadow soil with high organic content.
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