TY - JOUR
T1 - Deciduous woodland exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2 has species-specific impacts on anecic earthworms
AU - Scullion, John
AU - Smith, Andrew
AU - Gwynn-Jones, Dylan
AU - Jones, David L.
AU - Godbold, Douglas L.
N1 - Scullion, J., Smith, A., Jones, D., Jones, D. L., Godbold, D. L. (2014). Deciduous woodland exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2hasspecies-specific impacts on anecic earthworms. Applied Soil Ecology, 80, 84-92
Documents embargoed until 08/05/2016
PY - 2014/8
Y1 - 2014/8
N2 - Elevated atmospheric CO
2 induced reductions in litter quality can adversely affect earthworms. However, this understanding is based on laboratory rather than field research and relates to single earthworm and tree species. Here earthworm populations were investigated under Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, and Fagus sylvatica in a Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment field experiment. Litters from this experiment were also fed to Lumbricus terrestris L. at two rates with live weight change and cast properties assessed. Elevated CO
2 (580ppmv) reduced litter N (-12%) with a corresponding increase in C:N ratio, especially for A. glutinosa. In the field, elevated CO
2 caused a shift in overall population composition, mainly characterised by reduced anecic biomass (-25%); endogeic and epigeic species were less affected. CO
2 effects on total biomass were most pronounced for A. glutinosa (e.g. field total biomass -47% vs. -11% overall). Growth of L. terrestris was lower when fed elevated CO
2 litter (-18%), although increased inputs of A. glutinosa litter mitigated this effect. In mesocosms, fresh cast respiration was lower (-14%) for elevated CO
2 litter, an effect more pronounced for A. glutinosa (-24%). When normalised for C content, elevated CO
2 effects on cast respiration were again negative and most marked for A. glutinosa litter. Litter N concentration, and possibly ease of litter mineralisation were factors affecting litter resource quality Litter N and P concentrations varied with A. glutinosa>B. pendula>F. sylvatica; F. sylvatica had the highest cellulose content. Field earthworm biomass was higher under A. glutinosa compared with B. pendula and F. sylvatica (+17 and +70%, respectively); live weight increased with A. glutinosa litter in the feeding trial almost three times more than for B. pendula, whereas it decreased for F. sylvatica. Cast respiration was highest for A. glutinosa, intermediate for B. pendula (ca. -36%) and lowest for F. sylvatica (ca. -78%). Earthworm responses to elevated CO
2 were complex, being characteristic of individual tree and earthworm species; responses were more adverse for trees with higher quality litter and for anecic earthworms.
AB - Elevated atmospheric CO
2 induced reductions in litter quality can adversely affect earthworms. However, this understanding is based on laboratory rather than field research and relates to single earthworm and tree species. Here earthworm populations were investigated under Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, and Fagus sylvatica in a Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment field experiment. Litters from this experiment were also fed to Lumbricus terrestris L. at two rates with live weight change and cast properties assessed. Elevated CO
2 (580ppmv) reduced litter N (-12%) with a corresponding increase in C:N ratio, especially for A. glutinosa. In the field, elevated CO
2 caused a shift in overall population composition, mainly characterised by reduced anecic biomass (-25%); endogeic and epigeic species were less affected. CO
2 effects on total biomass were most pronounced for A. glutinosa (e.g. field total biomass -47% vs. -11% overall). Growth of L. terrestris was lower when fed elevated CO
2 litter (-18%), although increased inputs of A. glutinosa litter mitigated this effect. In mesocosms, fresh cast respiration was lower (-14%) for elevated CO
2 litter, an effect more pronounced for A. glutinosa (-24%). When normalised for C content, elevated CO
2 effects on cast respiration were again negative and most marked for A. glutinosa litter. Litter N concentration, and possibly ease of litter mineralisation were factors affecting litter resource quality Litter N and P concentrations varied with A. glutinosa>B. pendula>F. sylvatica; F. sylvatica had the highest cellulose content. Field earthworm biomass was higher under A. glutinosa compared with B. pendula and F. sylvatica (+17 and +70%, respectively); live weight increased with A. glutinosa litter in the feeding trial almost three times more than for B. pendula, whereas it decreased for F. sylvatica. Cast respiration was highest for A. glutinosa, intermediate for B. pendula (ca. -36%) and lowest for F. sylvatica (ca. -78%). Earthworm responses to elevated CO
2 were complex, being characteristic of individual tree and earthworm species; responses were more adverse for trees with higher quality litter and for anecic earthworms.
KW - Carbon
KW - Deciduous woodland
KW - Earthworms
KW - Litter quality
KW - Respiration
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84899850302&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apsoil.2014.03.016
DO - 10.1016/j.apsoil.2014.03.016
M3 - Article
SN - 0929-1393
VL - 80
SP - 84
EP - 92
JO - Applied Soil Ecology
JF - Applied Soil Ecology
ER -
