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1 December 2015 Landscape Patch Pattern Effect on Relationships between Soil Properties and Earthworm Assemblages: A Comparison of two Farmlands of Different Spatial Structure
Edyta Regulska, Ewa Kołaczkowska
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Abstract

Our survey was carried out in two study sites of approximately 3.3 ha each located in the Suwałki Lake District in NE Poland in the year 2008. Earthworms and soil samples were collected during two campaigns (spring and autumn) from 25 × 25 cm and 30 cm deep sampling points. The complex arable landscape (CAL) supported higher earthworm diversity, density and biomass than the similarly managed but homogeneous arable landscape (HAL). The spring and autumn earthworm sampling campaigns revealed very different patterns, and we conclude that autumn sampling is the most adequate for biomonitoring. On the other hand, the spring collections were significantly correlated to soil physical parameters, thus spring sampling is more suitable for studying such correlations. Significant correlations occurred almost exclusively for CAL and the soil parameters significantly relating with earthworm community were: soil moisture, nitrogen and organic carbon contents. The possible reason for it is the presence of numerous refuges for lumbricids offered by field margins, balks, woodlots and meadows in the CAL and lack of them in the HAL.

Edyta Regulska and Ewa Kołaczkowska "Landscape Patch Pattern Effect on Relationships between Soil Properties and Earthworm Assemblages: A Comparison of two Farmlands of Different Spatial Structure," Polish Journal of Ecology 63(4), 549-558, (1 December 2015). https://doi.org/10.3161/15052249PJE2015.63.4.007
Published: 1 December 2015
KEYWORDS
arable field margins
biological monitoring
landscape structure
Lumbricidae
Soil properties
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