THE INOCULATION OF LUMBRICUS-TERRESTRIS L IN AN ACIDIC SPRUCE FOREST AFTER LIMING AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SOIL PROPERTIES

At a formerly limed study site in a spruce forest on acidic soil in th e Selling mountains, Central Germany, adult or near adult specimens of Lumbricus terrestris were inoculated. The establishment of a reproduc ing population was monitored for four years. Burrowing activity was de tected down to 50 cm, with locally marked incorporation of organic mat ter to a depth of 20 cm. Chemical changes due to lime particles were r estricted to earthworm burrows and a thin surrounding soil layer. A ra ndom sample of soil cores revealed no differences in soil chemical cha racteristics between limed plots with or without L. terrestris. (C) 19 97 Elsevier Science Ltd.