Earthworms under 1 m of snow: the seasonal dynamics of earthworm abundance in cool-temperate forests with heavy snowfall

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  • 多雪地帯の冷温帯林におけるミミズ群集の個体 密度や現存量の季節性

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Abstract

To understand the spatiotemporal impacts of earthworms on soil ecosystem functions, further insight into the phenological patterns of earthworms in various habitats is needed. Especially in landscapes that receive heavy snowfall, the phenological patterns of earthworms is little understood. In this study, we conducted a field investigation of earthworm biomass and density for a whole year (including a winter with heavy snowfall) in a deciduous broad leaf forest and an adjacent evergreen coniferous forest in northern Hokkaido, Japan. The seasonal dynamics of the earthworm abundance were different between the broad leaf and conifer forests. In the broad leaf forest, the density was highest in summer and lowest in winter under 120 cm of snowpack, while there was no seasonal difference in the conifer forest. The different seasonal dynamics in earthworm abundance between the two forest types could contribute to the variations in the temporal patterns of ecosystem functions, such as nitrogen dynamics, which should be tested in future studies.

Journal

  • Edaphologia

    Edaphologia 105 (0), 15-23, 2019

    The Japanese Society of Soil Zoology

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