Enchytraeids: Small but important ecosystem engineers
Enchytraeids (Annelida Oligochaeta), small burrowing organisms found worldwide, are known to influence soil structure, though their specific effects on pore space are not well quantified. In this study, we evaluated how the burrowing activities of Enchytraeus albidus and Enchytraeus crypticus affect...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Geoderma |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706124003793 |
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| author | Cécile Serbource Stéphane Sammartino Sophie Cornu Justine Papillon Jérôme Adrien Céline Pelosi |
| author_facet | Cécile Serbource Stéphane Sammartino Sophie Cornu Justine Papillon Jérôme Adrien Céline Pelosi |
| author_sort | Cécile Serbource |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Enchytraeids (Annelida Oligochaeta), small burrowing organisms found worldwide, are known to influence soil structure, though their specific effects on pore space are not well quantified. In this study, we evaluated how the burrowing activities of Enchytraeus albidus and Enchytraeus crypticus affected the X-ray imaged porosity of soil over a 40- day period using two different soils (loamy and silty-clay-loamy soil) sieved to 2 mm and packed at two bulk densities (0.8 and 1 g cm−3). Our findings revealed that while enchytraeids had minimal impact on X-ray imaged porosity, they played a key role in reshaping the soil’s internal structure, increasing pore connectivity and homogenizing pore size distribution. This was evident through a reduction in the number of smaller pores and a shift toward larger pore sizes. The overall pore structure became more uniform, with enchytraeids promoting a shift in the dominant pore sizes. These structural changes were particularly pronounced in loosely compacted soils, where enchytraeids contributed to greater network complexity, as well as in the soil with a higher clay content, which is more conducive to aggregation. This suggests that enchytraeids have a significant role in modifying soil physical properties, especially in conditions where the soil is loosely compacted. X-ray microtomography is a promising tool for studying at the mesopore scale, and further studies are needed to better characterize the bioturbation activity of enchytraeids. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e1b674f8f3cd4ac592f0934bbd2654a6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1872-6259 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geoderma |
| spelling | doaj-art-e1b674f8f3cd4ac592f0934bbd2654a62025-01-10T04:36:46ZengElsevierGeoderma1872-62592025-01-01453117150Enchytraeids: Small but important ecosystem engineersCécile Serbource0Stéphane Sammartino1Sophie Cornu2Justine Papillon3Jérôme Adrien4Céline Pelosi5Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRAE), Avignon, France; Corresponding authors.Avignon Université, INRAE, Avignon, FranceAix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, FranceInstitut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, Laboratoire MatéIS, Lyon, FranceInstitut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, Laboratoire MatéIS, Lyon, FranceInstitut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRAE), Avignon, France; Corresponding authors.Enchytraeids (Annelida Oligochaeta), small burrowing organisms found worldwide, are known to influence soil structure, though their specific effects on pore space are not well quantified. In this study, we evaluated how the burrowing activities of Enchytraeus albidus and Enchytraeus crypticus affected the X-ray imaged porosity of soil over a 40- day period using two different soils (loamy and silty-clay-loamy soil) sieved to 2 mm and packed at two bulk densities (0.8 and 1 g cm−3). Our findings revealed that while enchytraeids had minimal impact on X-ray imaged porosity, they played a key role in reshaping the soil’s internal structure, increasing pore connectivity and homogenizing pore size distribution. This was evident through a reduction in the number of smaller pores and a shift toward larger pore sizes. The overall pore structure became more uniform, with enchytraeids promoting a shift in the dominant pore sizes. These structural changes were particularly pronounced in loosely compacted soils, where enchytraeids contributed to greater network complexity, as well as in the soil with a higher clay content, which is more conducive to aggregation. This suggests that enchytraeids have a significant role in modifying soil physical properties, especially in conditions where the soil is loosely compacted. X-ray microtomography is a promising tool for studying at the mesopore scale, and further studies are needed to better characterize the bioturbation activity of enchytraeids.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706124003793PotwormBioturbationImaging technicsConnectivitySoil engineer |
| spellingShingle | Cécile Serbource Stéphane Sammartino Sophie Cornu Justine Papillon Jérôme Adrien Céline Pelosi Enchytraeids: Small but important ecosystem engineers Geoderma Potworm Bioturbation Imaging technics Connectivity Soil engineer |
| title | Enchytraeids: Small but important ecosystem engineers |
| title_full | Enchytraeids: Small but important ecosystem engineers |
| title_fullStr | Enchytraeids: Small but important ecosystem engineers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enchytraeids: Small but important ecosystem engineers |
| title_short | Enchytraeids: Small but important ecosystem engineers |
| title_sort | enchytraeids small but important ecosystem engineers |
| topic | Potworm Bioturbation Imaging technics Connectivity Soil engineer |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706124003793 |
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