A water-centred framework to assess the effects of salinity on the growth and yield of wheat and barley

We conducted a field experiment in two alpine meadows to investigate the short-term effects of nitrogen enrichment and plant litter biomass on plant species richness, the percent cover of functional groups, soil microbial biomass, and enzyme activity in two alpine meadow communities. The addition of nitrogen fertilizer to experimental plots over two growing seasons increased plant production, as indicated by increases in both the living plant biomass and litter biomass in the Kobresia humilis meadow community. In contrast, fertilization had no significant effect on the amounts of living biomass and litter biomass in the K. tibetica meadow. The litter treatment results indicate that litter removal significantly increased the living biomass and decreased the litter biomass in the K. humilis meadow; however, litter-removal and litter-intact treatments had no impact on the amounts of living biomass and litter biomass in the K. tibetica meadow. Litter production depended on the degree of grass cover and was also influenced by nitrogen enrichment. The increase in plant biomass reflects a strong positive effect of nitrogen enrichment and litter removal on grasses in the K. humilis meadow. Neither fertilization nor litter removal had any impact on the grass biomass in the K. tibetica meadow. Sedge biomass was not significantly affected by either nutrient enrichment or litter removal in either alpine meadow community. The plant species richness decreased in the K. humilis meadow following nitrogen addition. In the K. humilis meadow, microbial biomass C increased significantly in response to the nitrogen enrichment and litter removal treatments. Enzyme activities differed depending on the enzyme and the different alpine meadow communities; in general, enzyme activities were higher in the upper soil layers (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm) than in the lower soil layers (20–40 cm). The amounts of living plant biomass and plant litter biomass in response to the different treatments of the two alpine meadow communities affected the soil microbial biomass C, soil organic C, and soil fertility. These results suggest that the original soil conditions, plant community composition, and community productivity are very important in regulating plant community productivity and microbial biomass and activity.     

Experimental Evaluation of Herbivory on Live Plant Seedlings by the Earthworm Lumbricus terrestris L. in the Presence and Absence of Soil Surface Litter

Background

Recent studies suggested that the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris might act as a seedling predator by ingesting emerging seedlings, and individuals were observed damaging fresh leaves of various plant species in the field. To evaluate the significance of herbivore behavior of L. terrestris for plant and earthworm performance we exposed 23- to 33-days-old seedlings of six plant species to earthworms in two microcosm experiments. Plants belonged to the three functional groups grasses, non-leguminous herbs, and legumes. Leaf damage, leaf mortality, the number of leaves as well as mortality and growth of seedlings were followed over a period of up to 26 days. In a subset of replicates 0.1 g of soil surface litter of each of the six plant species was provided and consumption was estimated regularly to determine potential feeding preferences of earthworms.

Results

There was no difference in seedling growth, the number of live seedlings and dead leaves between treatments with or without worms. Fresh leaves were damaged eight times during the experiment, most likely by L. terrestris, with two direct observations of earthworms tearing off leaf parts. Another nine leaves were partly pulled into earthworm burrows. Lumbricus terrestris preferred to consume legume litter over litter of the other plant functional groups. Earthworms that consumed litter lost less weight than individuals that were provided with soil and live plants only, indicating that live plants are not a suitable substitute for litter in earthworm nutrition.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that L. terrestris damages live plants; however, this behavior occurs only rarely. Pulling live plants into earthworm burrows might induce microbial decomposition of leaves to make them suitable for later consumption. Herbivory on plants beyond the initial seedling stage may only play a minor role in earthworm nutrition and has limited potential to influence plant growth.     

两种代表性蚯蚓对设施菜地土壤微生物群落结构及理化性质的影响

不同生态型蚯蚓的取食偏好和生境有所差异,因此蚯蚓的生态型差异可能关乎其对土壤性质的不同影响;有关不同生态型蚯蚓对土壤性质尤其是微生物学性质影响的研究有助于了解蚯蚓生态功能的作用机制。在野外调控试验的第4年采集土壤,研究了牛粪混施和表施处理下内层种威廉腔环蚓(Metaphire guillelmi)和表层种赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia foetida)对设施菜地土壤微生物群落结构和主要理化性质的影响。结果表明,土壤微生物群落结构同时受到蚯蚓种类和牛粪施用方式的影响。牛粪表施时,两种蚯蚓均显著降低了菌根真菌、真菌生物量和原生动物生物量(P0.05);牛粪混施时,不同蚯蚓的影响有所差异,威廉腔环蚓明显增加了菌根真菌、真菌生物量和放线菌生物量,而赤子爱胜蚓的作用不明显。此外,两种蚯蚓均提高了土壤孔隙度、团聚体稳定性和土壤p H、矿质氮以及微生物生物量碳氮水平,但提高幅度取决于蚯蚓种类和牛粪施用方式。冗余分析表明蚯蚓影响下土壤微生物群落结构的变化与团聚体稳定性、p H、速效磷、矿质氮呈正相关,而与土壤容重呈负相关。     

Plant and Litter Influences on Earthworm Abundance and Community Structure in a Tropical Wet Forest1

Plant communities differ in species composition and litter input. To examine the influence of plant species on the abundance and community structure of soil fauna, we sampled earthworms in areas close to and away from the bases of Dacryodes excelsa and Heliconia caribaea, two distinct plant communities within a tropical wet forest in Puerto Rico. We also carried out a litter manipulation experiment to examine the short–term responses of earthworms to litter removal and litter addition treatments. We found that: (1) the density and biomass of both soil–feeding endogeic and litter-feeding anccic worms did not differ between areas close to and away from Dacryodef trees (in contrast, the density and biomass of anecic worms was higher in areas away from Heliconia plants despite the lack of differences for endogeic worms); and (2) total dry weight of earthworms tended to be higher in the litter addition treatment than in the control within the Heliconia community. Our results suggest that Heliconia caribaea has a strong negative influence on anecic earthworms and that earthworms in the Heliconia community are more sensitive to litter input than in the Dacryodes community.     

The post-registration monitoring of glyphosate-treated plants using anecic earthworms

Glyphosate N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine is a widely-used herbicide in agriculture. The anecic earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris feeds and forages for surface plant materials meaning that this species has a unique and direct exposure to agrichemicals. At the recommended product rates, significantly (F_1,44 = 8.67, p = .005) higher numbers of L. terrestris middens were found in the glyphosate treated areas of an arable crop field. Laboratory feeding assays using field aged plant materials indicated that previous glyphosate treatment was a statistically significant factor affecting earthworm L. terrestris biomass (F₁,₁₂ = 5.75, p = .03). Negligible glyphosate residues were detectable, and the field aged plant materials were encrusted with fungal hyphae. This suggests that glyphosate influences the colonisation of plant material by a litter-fungus complex which improves the food quality to earthworms. Concentrations of epoxiconazole, a fungicide, were detected in some plant materials and may influence overall food quality to earthworms. Glyphosate treatment on fresh volunteer plant leaves (unwanted crop seedlings) was not a statistically significant factor affecting earthworm L. terrestris biomass (F₁,₆ = 0.16, p = .92). These results indicate fungal communities influence feeding behaviours, and plant materials are a direct source of agrichemicals to anecic earthworms.     

Tracking an invasion: community changes in hardwood forests following the arrival of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amynthas agrestis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amynthas tokioensis</Emphasis> in Wisconsin

Because Upper Midwest temperate forests lack native earthworms, the invasions of European and Asian earthworms can significantly alter soils and understory vegetation. Earthworms’ ability to increase leaf litter decay, alter nutrient cycling by mixing the organic layer with mineral soil, and decrease plant species richness leads to concern about the Asian ‘jumping earthworm’ (Amynthas agrestis and A. tokioensis) species that were recorded in the University of Wisconsin—Madison Arboretum in 2013. In 2015, we found A. agrestis and A. tokioensis in a distinct 8-ha region of a 23-ha hardwood forest surveyed in the Arboretum; by 2016 A. agrestis and A. tokioensis had spread over an additional 7 ha. Plots also contained the European earthworm species Lumbricus terrestris, L. rubellus, and Apporectodea spp., whose distributions decreased from 2015 to 2016. While leaf litter, plant species richness, and tree and shrub seedling abundance were generally reduced in areas with European earthworms, they were typically slightly increased in areas with A. agrestis and A. tokioensis versus those without. Although our results do not show substantial impacts of A. agrestis and A. tokioensis on vegetation in the initial years of invasion, the rapid replacement of European earthworms by A. agrestis and A. tokioensis suggests continued monitoring of these new invasive species is important to better understand their potential to change the Upper Midwest’s forests.     

Plant species influence on soil microbial short-term response after fire simulation

Aims

Plant species can influence fire intensity and severity causing different immediate and long-term responses on the soil microbial community. The main objective of this work was to determine the role of two representative Mediterranean plant species as soil organic matter sources, and to identify their influence on microbial response before and after heat exposure.

Methods

A laboratory heating experiment (300 °C for 20 min) was performed using soil collected under Pinus hallepensis (PIN) and Quercus coccifera (KER). Dried plant material was added before heating for a total of six different treatments: non-heated control samples amended with the original plant material (PIN₀ and KER₀); PIN samples heated with pine (PIN_p) or kermes oak litter (PIN_k); KER samples heated with kermes oak (KER_k) or pine litter (KER_p). Heated soils were inoculated with the original fresh soil and different microbial parameters related to abundance, activity and possible changes in microbial community composition and chemical soil parameters that could be conditioning microbial response were measured for 28 days after inoculation.

Results

The effect of heating on the soil microbial parameters studied was influenced to a small extent by the plant species providing fuel, being evident in soil samples taken under pine influence. Nevertheless heating effect showed marked differences when plant species influence on soil origin was analyzed.

Conclusions

In general, samples taken under pine appear to be more negatively affected by heating treatment than samples collected under kermes oak, highlighting the importance of vegetation as a fresh organic matter source in soil ecosystems before and after fire.     

Concordance of N bio-indicators: Dandelion and earthworms in a rotational pasture

Earthworms are important soil metabionts indicative of N enrichment in pastures. A rotational pasture in central Nova Scotia was tested for earthworms using chemical extraction followed by excavation and hand sorting in 28 paired micro plots placed in areas with low versus high proportion of the N indicator plant species dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Species richness was low with five earthworm species of the Lumbricidae recovered in the following order of abundance: Lumbricus rubellus, Lumbricus terrestris, Aporrectodea turgida, Aporrectodea tuberculata, and Aporrectodea trapezoides. All species occurred at high constancy except the rare A. trapezoides. The inventory revealed spatial differentiation of earthworm abundance and community structure at the field level. High proportion of dandelion reduced pasture sward biomass while abundance of L. rubellus and A. tuberculata significantly (p < 0.05) increased with a concomitant increase in epigeic earthworm dominance at the expense of the anecic L. terrestris. Thus, low cost and non-destructive floristic surveys of N indicators, such as dandelion, allow for concordant inferences about the environmental impact of intensive cow pasture on earthworms and ecosystem function. High earthworm counts may run contrary to the notion of ecological integrity depending on specific earthworm abundances. Reduced earthworm benefits due to any de-intensification of rotational pasture must be assessed against increased risks of N-leaching in intensive pastures with high proportion of dandelion.     

Do endogeic earthworms change plant competition? A microcosm study

Plants compete for limited resources. Although nutrient availability for plants is affected by resource distribution and soil organisms, surprisingly few studies investigate their combined effects on plant growth and competition. Effects of endogeic earthworms (Aporrectodea jassyensis), root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) and the spatial distribution of ¹⁵N labelled grass litter on the competition between a grass (Lolium perenne), a forb (Plantago lanceolata) and a legume (Trifolium repens) were investigated in the greenhouse. Earthworms promoted N uptake and growth of L. perenne. Contrastingly, shoot biomass and N uptake of T. repens decreased in the presence of earthworms. P. lanceolata was not affected by the earthworms. We suggest that earthworms enhanced the competitive ability of L. perenne against T. repens. Nematodes increased the proportion of litter N in each of the plant species. Litter distribution (homogeneous vs. patch) did not affect the biomass of any plant species. However, P. lanceolata took up more ¹⁵N, when the litter was homogeneously mixed into the soil. The results suggest that endogeic earthworms may affect plant competition by promoting individual plant species. More studies including decomposers are necessary to understand their role in determining plant community structure.     

The effect of earthworms and snails in a simple plant community

Snails and earthworms affected the dynamics of a simple, three-species plant community, in the Ecotron controlled environment facility. Earthworms enhanced the establishment, growth and cover of the legume Trifolium dubium, both via the soil and interactions with other plant species. Worms increased soil phosphates, increased root nodulation in T. dubium, and enabled T. dubium seedlings to establish in the presence of grass (Poa annua) litter, by increasing soil heterogeneity. Worms also buried the seeds of Poa annua and Senecio vulgaris, reducing the germination of new seedlings. Snails reduced nitrogen-fixing Trifolium dubium and increased cover of plant litter, thereby reducing ammonia-nitrogen concentrations in the soil. These effects and their interactions demonstrate that the detritivore food chain, and earthworms in particular, cannot be ignored if we are to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of plant communities.     

Root Foraging Influences Plant Growth Responses to Earthworm Foraging

Interactions among the foraging behaviours of co-occurring animal species can impact population and community dynamics; the consequences of interactions between plant and animal foraging behaviours have received less attention. In North American forests, invasions by European earthworms have led to substantial changes in plant community composition. Changes in leaf litter have been identified as a critical indirect mechanism driving earthworm impacts on plants. However, there has been limited examination of the direct effects of earthworm burrowing on plant growth. Here we show a novel second pathway exists, whereby earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris L.) impact plant root foraging. In a mini-rhizotron experiment, roots occurred more frequently in burrows and soil cracks than in the soil matrix. The roots of Achillea millefolium L. preferentially occupied earthworm burrows, where nutrient availability was presumably higher than in cracks due to earthworm excreta. In contrast, the roots of Campanula rotundifolia L. were less likely to occur in burrows. This shift in root behaviour was associated with a 30% decline in the overall biomass of C. rotundifolia when earthworms were present. Our results indicate earthworm impacts on plant foraging can occur indirectly via physical and chemical changes to the soil and directly via root consumption or abrasion and thus may be one factor influencing plant growth and community change following earthworm invasion. More generally, this work demonstrates the potential for interactions to occur between the foraging behaviours of plants and soil animals and emphasizes the importance of integrating behavioural understanding in foraging studies involving plants.     

Effects of earthworms and organic litter distribution on plant performance and aphid reproduction

Human management practices and large detritivores such as earthworms incorporate plant litter into the soil, thereby forming a heterogeneous soil environment from which plant roots extract nutrients. In a greenhouse experiment we investigated effects of earthworms and spatial distribution of ¹⁵N-labelled grass litter on plants of different functional groups [Lolium perenne (grass), Plantago lanceolata (forb), Trifolium repens (legume)]. Earthworms enhanced shoot and root growth in L. perenne and P. lanceolata and N uptake from organic litter and soil in all plant species. Litter concentrated in a patch (compared with litter mixed homogeneously into the soil) increased shoot biomass and ¹⁵N uptake from the litter in L. perenne and enhanced root proliferation in P. lanceolata when earthworms were present. Growth of clover (T. repens) was rather independent of the presence of earthworms and organic litter distribution: nevertheless, clover took up more nitrogen in the presence of earthworms and exploited more ¹⁵N from the added litter than the other plant species. The magnitude of the effects of earthworms and organic litter distribution differed between the plant species, indicating different responses of plants with contrasting root morphology. Aphid (Myzus persicae) reproduction was reduced on P. lanceolata in the presence of earthworms. We suggest that earthworm activity may indirectly alter plant chemistry and hence defence mechanisms against herbivores.     

Feeding plasticity of two detritivore-shredders

1. The feeding preferences of the trichopteran shredder Sericostoma personatum Spence and the amphipod shredder Gammarus pulex L. were studied using specimens collected in a springbrook where the major food source was beech litter (Fagus sylvatica L.). Six food items were tested: conditioned beech leaves, conditioned alder leaves (Alnus glutinosa L.), conditioned Sitka spruce needles [Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr], fresh beech leaves, a fresh macrophyte (Potamogeton perfoliatus L.) and a fresh filamentous green alga (Microspora sp.). 2. The overall preference pattern shown by the two shredders was the same: both preferred conditioned Alnus most, followed by fresh Microspora. The least preferred food items were conditioned Fagus leaves and Picea needles. 3. The feeding preference of the two shredders proved to be unrelated to food source fibre content, toughness, total phosphorus, C:N ratio and total nitrogen (P>0.05). 4. Despite the overall similarity in their feeding preferences, Gammarus was more selective than Sericostoma. The reason for this difference is discussed. 5. We interpret our findings as indicating that detritivore-shredders do not per se prefer leaf litter, but in fact actively select other food items such as filamentous green algae or macrophytes, even when terrestrial leaf litter is abundant. Most shredders in Danish forest streams thus seem to live on a growth-limiting food resource that they do not prefer. This may have important implications for secondary production in such streams.     

Microbial communities may modify how litter quality affects potential decomposition rates as tree species migrate

Background and aims

Climate change alters regional plant species distributions, creating new combinations of litter species and soil communities. Biogeographic patterns in microbial communities relate to dissimilarity in microbial community function, meaning novel litters to communities may decompose differently than predicted from their chemical composition. Therefore, the effect of a litter species in the biogeochemical cycle of its current environment may not predict patterns after migration. Under a tree migration sequence we test whether litter quality alone drives litter decomposition, or whether soil communities modify quality effects.

Methods

Litter and soils were sampled across an elevation gradient of different overstory species where lower elevation species are predicted to migrate upslope. We use a common garden, laboratory microcosm design (soil community x litter environment) with single and mixed-species litters.

Results

We find significant litter quality and microbial community effects (P?<?0.001), explaining 47 % of the variation in decomposition for mixed-litters.

Conclusion

Soil community effects are driven by the functional breadth, or historical exposure, of the microbial communities, resulting in lower decomposition of litters inoculated with upslope communities. The litter x soil community interaction suggests that litter decomposition rates in forests of changing tree species composition will be a product of both litter quality and the recipient soil community.     

Application of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis for analysing the gut microflora of Lumbricus rubellus Hoffmeister under different feeding conditions

The earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus, plays an essential role in soil ecosystems as it affects organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. By ingesting a mixture of organic and mineral material, a variety of bacteria and fungi are carried to the intestinal tract of the earthworm. To get a better understanding of the interactions between L. rubellus and the microorganisms ingested, this study tried to reveal if the diet affects the composition of the gut microflora of L. rubellus or if its intestinal tract hosts an indigenous, species-specific microbiota. A feeding experiment with L. rubellus was set up; individuals were collected in the field, transferred to a climate chamber and fed with food sources of different quality (dwarf shrub litter, grass litter or horse dung) for six weeks. DNA was extracted from the guts of the earthworms, as well as from the food sources and the surrounding soil, and further analysed by a molecular fingerprinting method, PCR-DGGE (Polymerase Chain Reaction -- Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis). We were able to demonstrate that the gut microbiota was strongly influenced by the food source ingested and was considerably different to that of the surrounding soil. Sequencing of dominant bands of the bacterial DGGE fingerprints revealed a strong occurrence of y-Proteobacteria in all gut samples, independent of the food source. A specific microflora in the intestinal tract of L. rubellus, robust against diet changes, could not be found.     

Evidence for Involvement of Gut-Associated Denitrifying Bacteria in Emission of Nitrous Oxide (N2O) by Earthworms Obtained from Garden and Forest Soils

Earthworms (Aporrectodea caliginosa, Lumbricus rubellus, and Octolasion lacteum) obtained from nitrous oxide (N₂O)-emitting garden soils emitted 0.14 to 0.87 nmol of N₂O h⁻¹ g (fresh weight)⁻¹ under in vivo conditions. L. rubellus obtained from N₂O-emitting forest soil also emitted N₂O, which confirmed previous observations (G. R. Karsten and H. L. Drake, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63:1878–1882, 1997). In contrast, commercially obtained Lumbricus terrestris did not emit N₂O; however, such worms emitted N₂O when they were fed (i.e., preincubated in) garden soils. A. caliginosa, L. rubellus, and O. lacteum substantially increased the rates of N₂O emission of garden soil columns and microcosms. Extrapolation of the data to in situ conditions indicated that N₂O emission by earthworms accounted for approximately 33% of the N₂O emitted by garden soils. In vivo emission of N₂O by earthworms obtained from both garden and forest soils was greatly stimulated when worms were moistened with sterile solutions of nitrate or nitrite; in contrast, ammonium did not stimulate in vivo emission of N₂O. In the presence of nitrate, acetylene increased the N₂O emission rates of earthworms; in contrast, in the presence of nitrite, acetylene had little or no effect on emission of N₂O. In vivo emission of N₂O decreased by 80% when earthworms were preincubated in soil supplemented with streptomycin and tetracycline. On a fresh weight basis, the rates of N₂O emission of dissected earthworm gut sections were substantially higher than the rates of N₂O emission of dissected worms lacking gut sections, indicating that N₂O production occurred in the gut rather than on the worm surface. In contrast to living earthworms and gut sections that produced N₂O under oxic conditions (i.e., in the presence of air), fresh casts (feces) from N₂O-emitting earthworms produced N₂O only under anoxic conditions. Collectively, these results indicate that gut-associated denitrifying bacteria are responsible for the in vivo emission of N₂O by earthworms and contribute to the N₂O that is emitted from certain terrestrial ecosystems.     

Influence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lumbricus terrestris</Emphasis> earthworms on the structure of the yeast community of forest litter

The taxonomic structure of yeast communities was studied in forest litter and soil, as well as in substrates transformed by the activity of Lumbricus terrestris earthworms (leaves in heaps, the gut contents, and coproliths). The activity of L. terrestris has a weak effect on the total yeast abundance but results in substantial changes in the community taxonomic composition. The share of ascomycetous yeasts is significantly higher in the substrates associated with the activity of earthworms. The teleomorphic ascomycetes Williopsis saturnus were isolated from the gut contents. The effect of earthworms on the composition of the yeast community in the process of forest litter destruction is more pronounced than seasonal changes.     

An arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus significantly modifies the soil bacterial community and nitrogen cycling during litter decomposition

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) perform an important ecosystem service by improving plant nutrient capture from soil, yet little is known about how AMF influence soil microbial communities during nutrient uptake. We tested whether an AMF modifies the soil microbial community and nitrogen cycling during litter decomposition. A two‐chamber microcosm system was employed to create a root‐free soil environment to control AMF access to ¹³C‐ and ¹⁵N‐labelled root litter. Using a 16S rRNA gene microarray, we documented that approximately 10% of the bacterial community responded to the AMF, Glomus hoi. Taxa from the Firmicutes responded positively to AMF, while taxa from the Actinobacteria and Comamonadaceae responded negatively to AMF. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that AMF may influence bacterial community assembly processes. Using nanometre‐scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) we visualized the location of AMF‐transported ¹³C and ¹⁵N in plant roots. Bulk isotope ratio mass spectrometry revealed that the AMF exported 4.9% of the litter ¹⁵N to the host plant (Plantago lanceolata L.), and litter‐derived ¹⁵N was preferentially exported relative to litter‐derived ¹³C. Our results suggest that the AMF primarily took up N in the inorganic form, and N export is one mechanism by which AMF could modify the soil microbial community and decomposition processes.     

Influence of Changing Plant Food Sources on the Gut Microbiota of Saltmarsh Detritivores

Changes in agricultural land-use of saltmarshes along the German North Sea coast have favoured the succession of the marsh grass Elytrigia atherica over the long-established Spartina anglica. Consequently, E. atherica represents a potential food source of increasing importance for plant-feeding soil detritivores. Considering the importance of this ecological guild for decomposition processes and nutrient cycling, we focussed on two sympatric saltmarsh soil macrodetritivores and their associated gut microbiota to investigate how the digestive processes of these species may be affected by changing plant food sources. Using genetic fingerprints of partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, we analysed composition and diversity of the bacterial gut community in a diplopod and an amphipod crustacean in relation to different feeding regimes representing the natural vegetation changes. Effects of syntopy on the host-specific gut microbiota were also taken into account by feeding the two detritivore species either independently or on the same plant sample. Bacterial community composition was influenced by both the host species and the available plant food sources, but the latter had a stronger effect on microbial community structure. Furthermore, bacterial diversity was highest after feeding on a mixture of both plant species, regardless of the host species. The gut microbiota of these two detritivores can thus be expected to change along with the on-going succession at the plant community level in this environment. Cloning and sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments further indicated a host-related effect since the two detritivores differed in terms of predominant bacterial taxa: diplopods harboured mainly representatives of the phyla Bacteroidetes and Gammaproteobacteria. In contrast, the genus Vibrio was found for the amphipod host across all feeding conditions.     

Changes in microbial community structure and function during vermicomposting of pig slurry

Most studies investigating the effects of earthworms on microorganisms have focused on the changes before and after vermicomposting rather than those that occur throughout the process. In the present study, we designed continuous feeding reactors in which new layers of pig slurry (1.5 and 3 kg) were added sequentially to form an age gradient inside the reactors in order to evaluate the impact of the earthworm species Eisenia fetida on microbial community structure and function. The activity of earthworms greatly reduced the bacterial and fungal biomass and microbial diversity relative to the control values. However, the pronounced presence of earthworms in the younger layers stimulated microbial activity and as such increased carbon mineralization probably due to the fact that the microorganisms may have been less resource-limited as a result of earthworm activity, as indicated by the ratio of monounsaturated to saturated PLFAs.