N. Bernier et Jf. Ponge, Lumbricus terrestris L. distribution within an experimental humus mosaic in a mountain spruce forest, BIOL FERT S, 28(1), 1998, pp. 81-86
An experiment was designed at a mountain site to study the distribution of
adult Lumbricus terrestris in relation to a small-scale mosaic of humus for
ms representative of different stages of a spruce forest ecosystem. Good ag
reement was found between distribution in the mosaic and that in the field.
ANOVA tests demonstrated the strong influence of humus form on earthworm a
bundance when comparing a vermimull (high earthworm burrowing activity) tak
en from a spruce regeneration site (61.8 individuals m(-2)) with a leptomod
er (no earthworm burrowing activity) taken from a 60-year-old spruce stand
(6.2 individuals m(-2)). Other humus forms were intermediate (mean density
34.6 individuals m(-2)). The same pattern was found with individual biomass
, but with lower significance. Main differences observed in the experimenta
l design were attributed to the immediate carrying density of the humus for
ms. A distinction was made between humus profiles built up with or without
spruce cover. In the latter case (regeneration site and bilberry heath), th
e immediate carrying capacity indicated by the experimental approach overes
timated the field density by a factor of 4. Under spruce this overestimate
was even higher (approximately 10 times too high in an adult spruce stand (
160 years old) and 30 times too high under moss cover). The increase in den
sity due to experimental conditions was not determined for leptomoder humus
accumulated under the actively growing spruce stand (160 years old) since
the earthworm density was near zero in both cases. Relationships between hu
mus form and earthworm populations are discussed.