The density and taxonomic structure of the microbial community in the
L, terrestris earthworm burrow walls (drilosphere) were studied by dir
ect luminescent microscopy and the plating method. The total length of
fungal hyphae and the number of germinating hyphae were 1.5-2 times l
ower in the burrow walls than in the surrounding soil. Contrarily, the
number of bacterial cells was 3.5-10 times higher in the drilosphere
than in the intact soil. Bacteria of the genera Aquaspirillum and Cyto
phaga invariably predominated in the saprotrophic bacterial community
at a distance of 2 mm from the burrow. At distances of 5 and 10 mm fro
m the burrow, the taxonomic structure of the bacterial community was h
ighly diverse and varied significantly depending on the season. The vo
lume of the drilosphere reaches 1-2% of the accumulative horizon; this
locus plays an important role in the formation and functioning of the
soil microbial community.