Download or read book Earthworms Soil aggregates and Organic Matter Decomposition in Agro ecosystems in The Netherlands written by Joke Carola and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Soil Ecology written by P. Lavelle and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-05-08 with total page 678 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A number of excellent textbooks on general ecology are currently available but‚ to date‚ none have been dedicated to the study of soil ecology. This is important because the soil‚ as the ‘epidermis’ of our planet‚ is the major component of the terrestrial biosphere. In the present age‚ it is difficult to understand how one could be interested in general ecology without having some knowledge of the soil and further‚ to study the soil without taking into account its biological components and ecological setting. It is this deficiency that the two authors‚ Patrick Lavelle and Alister Spain‚ have wished to address in writing their text. A reading of this work‚ entitled ‘Soil Ecology’‚ shows it to be very complete and extremely innovative in its conceptual plan. In addition‚ it follows straightforwardly through a development which unfolds over four substantial chapters. Firstly‚ the authors consider the soil as a porous and finely divided medium of b- organomineral origin‚ whose physical structure and organisation foster the development of a multitude of specifically adapted organisms (microbial communities‚ roots of higher plants‚ macro-invertebrates).
Download or read book Earthworms Organic Matter Stabilization and Nutrient Dynamics in Alternative Agroecosystems written by Steven John Fonte and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The development of sustainable agroecosystems is critical for safeguarding long-term food security and addressing human-driven alterations to the biosphere. Agricultural practices need to better integrate crops with beneficial non-crop species in order to improve the functioning of and expand the services provided by agroecosystems. The research presented here sought to address this issue by examining the impact of residue management on earthworm populations and their influence, in turn, on soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization and nutrient dynamics. Five studies were conducted to address these questions within two distinct agricultural settings: 1) tomato farming systems in the Central Valley of California (Chapters 1 and 2) and 2) small holder maize-based farming systems in the mountains of western Honduras (Chapters 3, 4, and 5). Chapter 1 reports on an exploratory study examining the effect of residue handling (mulch, cover-crop or bare fallow) on earthworm abundance and diversity in organic and conventional tomato fields in Yolo county, CA. Earthworms were found to respond positively to the high organic matter inputs and minimal disturbance associated with mulching of tomato residues and were strongly associated with total SOM across all fields surveyed. In Chapter2, microcosms were used to manipulate earthworms (Aporrectodea rosea) in differently managed agroecosystems (organic, conventional and an intermediate low-input systems) in a replicated field trial. Earthworms were found to incorporate cover-crop derived C and N into stable aggregate fractions under the low-input system, but appeared to facilitate the loss of N in the conventional system, where N was added as mineral fertilizer. Chapter 3 examined earthworm populations, aggregation and soil fertility within a replicated field trial comparing the Quesungual agroforestry system with traditional slash-and-burn agriculture and undisturbed secondary forest. Mulch application and lack of burning under the Quesungual system promoted earthworm populations, and also P availability in fertilized plots. Although aggregation and C storage were similarly reduced under Quesungual and slash-and-burn agriculture (compared to secondary forest), baseline soil data suggests that the rate of SOM loss was higher under slash-and-burn than Quesungual management. Chapter 4 reports on an experiment where earthworms (Pontoscolex corethrurus) were manipulated using microcosms in the same field plots studied in Chapter 3. Earthworms were found to reduce total soil C in the surface soil across all management systems and to facilitate the loss of fertilizer N within both the Quesungual and slash-and-burn plots. Chapter 5 employed mesocosms (each with a growing maize plant) to manipulate earthworms (P. corethrurus) and residue additions at an adjacent study site. Earthworms improved aggregation and C storage within stable aggregate fractions, but only in the presence of added residues. Earthworms also increased the uptake of fertilizer N by the maize plants and reduced total and available P under all residue treatments. This research highlights the potential of residue management to regulate the abundance and activity of earthworms, as well as their influence on SOM and nutrient cycling across diverse agricultural contexts. Consequently, the integrated management of organic residues and soil fauna is needed to optimize SOM dynamics, nutrient cycling, and plant growth for sustainable agroecosystem functioning.
Download or read book Managing Organic Matter in Tropical Soils Scope and Limitations written by Christopher Martius and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soil organic matter is a reservoir for plant nutrients, provides water-holding capacity, stabilizes soil structure against compaction and erosion, and thus determines soil productivity. All agriculture to some degree depends on soil organic matter. It has long been known that soil organic matter declines when land is taken into cultivation, and that the productivity of new agricultural land is governed by fertility contributions from decomposing natural organic matter. The expansion of agriculture to ever new and more fragile lands, particularly in tropical and developing regions, causes environmental degradation with local effects on soil quality, regional effects on landscape integrity and water quality, and global effects on carbon cycles and the atmosphere. This book summarizes current knowledge of the properties and dynamics of soil organic matter in the tropics, its role in determining soil quality, its stability and turnover, and the options for management in the context of tropical landuse systems, for a readership of resource scientists, economists and advanced students. Maintenance of organic matter is critical for preventing land degradation. Case studies and practical applications are therefore an important part of the book, as are the exploration of future directions in research and management.
Download or read book Earthworms and Their Ecological Significance written by Adarsh Pal Vig and published by Nova Science Publishers. This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The earthworm has been known since ancient times for its valuable services to soil fertility management and litter nutrient cycling. The Greek philosopher Aristotle named earthworm "the guts of the soil" because of its direct role in soil formation through gut fragmentation of large soil particles, forming fine soil aggregates rich in organic matter. The famous natural scientist Charles Darwin also described the importance of earthworms in the natural world and he wrote the document entitled "The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms with Observation on Their Habits" in 1881, observing that "worms have played a more important part in the history of the world than most persons would at first suppose". During the last 30-40 years, earthworms have been studied intensively in the various disciplines of animal ecology, paedology, waste recycling, agriculture science, soil biology and chemistry, ecotoxicology, and pharmaceutical sciences. Because of their importance in soil and below-ground ecology, earthworms have been designated as "ecosystem engineers". Soil fertility maintenance, soil litter decomposition, soil microbial communities and other detritus community structures and their function are directly or indirectly affected by earthworms' presence in soils. Apart from that, earthworms have appeared as a promising tool to recycle nutrients from various kinds of organic waste substances and stabilization of industrial sledges. Vermicomposting could be a valuable and low-cost technique for farmers for onsite waste management and nutrient-rich manure production. Scientists are always looking for new species for solid waste management. Thus, scientists around the world are working on earthworm biodiversity assessment and evaluation of their ecosystem services and value addition in other environmental management sectors. Efforts have been made in this edited volume to compile recent advancements in earthworm biology and their promising services in different fields of environmental management and resource conservations. This book contains three sub-sections: earthworm ecology, vermicomposting, and earthworm ecotoxicology. A total of 17 chapters are included in this edited volume. In the first section two chapters cover phylogeny and distribution of earthworm, and distribution of earthworm in Canadian ecozones; in the second section a total of seven chapters are included describing the role of vermitechnology in bioremediation of agriculture waste, pharmaceutical waste substances, industrial sludge stabilisations, and soil nutrient supply; and the third section includes eight chapters describing the effect of various hazardous substances like pesticides, microplastics, heavy metals, and neonicotinoids on earthworm growth, survival, reproduction and toxicity. In the end, we acknowledge the people and family members who are directly or indirectly associated with the compilation of this book. Without their moral and technical support, this book would not see the light of day.
Download or read book Ecology of Arable Land Perspectives and Challenges written by M. Clarholm and published by Springer. This book was released on 1989-08-31 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proceedings of an International Symposium, June 9-12, 1987, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
Download or read book Hydrogeology Chemical Weathering and Soil Formation written by Allen Hunt and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-04-06 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores soil as a nexus for water, chemicals, and biologically coupled nutrient cycling Soil is a narrow but critically important zone on Earth's surface. It is the interface for water and carbon recycling from above and part of the cycling of sediment and rock from below. Hydrogeology, Chemical Weathering, and Soil Formation places chemical weathering and soil formation in its geological, climatological, biological and hydrological perspective. Volume highlights include: The evolution of soils over 3.25 billion years Basic processes contributing to soil formation How chemical weathering and soil formation relate to water and energy fluxes The role of pedogenesis in geomorphology Relationships between climate soils and biota Soils, aeolian deposits, and crusts as geologic dating tools Impacts of land-use change on soils The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals. Find out more about this book from this Q&A with the Editors
Download or read book Advances in Agronomy written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 1997-02-20 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Volume 59 contains seven reviews covering key contemporary topics on crop and soil sciences. As always, the topics are varied and exemplary of the array of subject matter covered by this long-running serial. Crop science is represented by chapters on quantitative genetics and plant breeding, wheat, perennial forages, and cotton. These chapters are balanced by synthetic reviews of organoclays in pollution abatement, the applications of micromorphology, and the importance of long-term field research. With this latest volume, Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and as a first-rate source of the latest research in agronomy, crop science, and soil science. Quantitative genetics Organoclays and pollution Phenology, development, and growth Micromorphology and agronomy Physiological and morphological responses to stress Crop modeling The value of long-term experiments
Download or read book Earthworm Management in Tropical Agroecosystems written by Patrick Lavelle and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1999 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book covers all aspects of the ecology of tropical earthworm communities and their effects on soil properties and plant growth. It examines the latest methods and technologies for their management and includes work from leading experts in Europe, South and Central America, Africa, and Asia.
Download or read book Abstracts on Sustainable Agriculture written by and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 684 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Importance of Soil Organic Matter written by Alexandra Bot and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 2005 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soil organic matter - the product of on-site biological decomposition - affects the chemical and physical properties of the soil and its overall health. Its composition and breakdown rate affect: the soil structure and porosity; the water infiltration rate and moisture holding capacity of soils; the diversity and biological activity of soil organisms; and plant nutrient availability. This document concentrates on the organic matter dynamics of cropping soils and discusses the circumstances that deplete organic matter and their negative outcomes. It then moves on to more proactive solutions. It reviews a "basket" of practices in order to show how they can increase organic matter content and discusses the land and cropping benefits that then accrue.--Publisher's description.
Download or read book Earthworm Ecology written by Clive A. Edwards and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2004-03-29 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Earthworm Ecology, Second Edition updates the most comprehensive work available on earthworm ecology with extensive revisions of the original chapters. New chapters analyze the history of earthworm research, the importance of earthworms as representatives of soil fauna and how they affect plant growth, the effects of the invasion of exotic earthworms into North America and other regions, and vermiculture and vermicomposting in Europe.This well-illustrated, expansive study examines the important and often overlooked impact earthworms have on the environment. It discusses the impact of climate, soil properties, predation, disease and parasitism, and competition upon earthworm ecology.
Download or read book Earthworms and Ecological Processes written by Yahya Kooch and published by Springer. This book was released on 2024-09-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Earthworms are the most important members of the soil detritivore community and function as soil engineers because of their effects on soil properties and their influence on the availability of resources for other organisms, including microorganisms and plants. Soil productivity and plant growth are strongly affected by biological activities of earthworms. They act on soil structures through creation of burrows which facilitate water and gas transport, incorporation of litter into soil, mixing of soil minerals, organic materials and breaking down of soil organic matter, ejection of surface and or subsurface casts. Earthworms have positive effects on the soil fabric and on the decomposition and mineralization of litter by breaking down organic matter and producing large amounts of feaces, thereby mixing litter with the mineral soil. Therefore, they play an important part humus form changes according to the patterns of plant communities succession. Consequently, they are also good bio-indicators for soil and site quality, and are thus useful when planning ecosystem function improvements. Earthworm's populations are indicators in degraded regions and in soil reclamations. Aristole called them "intestines of the earth" and the eminent nineteenth century biologist, Charles Darwin, spent many years observing their major influence on humus formation and soil transport . However, the links between their impacts on the soil environment and the resulting modification of natural selection pressures on engineers as well as on other organisms have received little attention. Based on papers recently published in the Science journal, Phillips et al. (2019) document an impressive group effort by 141 researchers from 35 countries to develop a global-scale atlas of earthworms. In addition, Fierer (2019) described the earthworms’ place on earth. So, Darwin’s legacy continues. Despite the vast increase in scientific literature on earthworms in recent years, much remains to be known of their basic biology, ecology and functioning. In this book we summarized the current knowledge in relation to ecological processes involved with earthworms in croplands, rangelands, forests and urban soils.
Download or read book Biology of Earthworms written by Ayten Karaca and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-11-09 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Earthworms, which belong to the order Oligochaeta, comprise roughly 3,000 species grouped into five families. Earthworms have been called ‘ecosystem engineers’; much like human engineers, they change the structure of their environments. Earthworms are very versatile and are found in nearly all terrestrial ecosystems. They play an important role in forest and agricultural ecosystems. This Soil Biology volume describes the various facets of earthworms, such as their role in soil improvement, soil structure, and the biocontrol of soil-borne plant fungal diseases. Reviews discuss earthworms’ innate immune system, molecular markers to address various issues of earthworm ecology, earthworm population dynamics, and the influences of organic farming systems and tillage. Further topics include the characteristics of vermicompost, relationships between soil earthworms and enzymes, the role of spermathecae, copulatory behavior, and adjustment of the donated sperm volume.
Download or read book Earthworm Ecology written by J. Satchell and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Darwin cleared: official' This 1982 Times (7 January) head line of a first leader, reporting the astonishing case brought in Arkansas against compulsory teaching of a biblical account of creation, hopefully set at rest doubts about Darwin in the minds of a public confused by media presentations of such unfamiliar concepts as punctuated equilibria, cladism and phenetics. Mud sticks, but Darwin's perturbed ghost may have found some consolation in the concurrent celebrations at Grange-over-Sands, a modest township in Cumbria, UK, of the centenary of the publication of his less controversial book The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms. In the form of a symposium on earthworm ecology, this attracted some 150 participants, predominantly adrenalin-charged research workers in the full heat of peer-group interaction. This book comprises a selection of the more ecologically oriented papers contributed to the symposium, brutally edited in the interests of brevity and thematic continuity. The book opens with an appraisal of Darwin's earthworm work in its historical and philosophical context and relates his views on 'vegetable mould' to current concepts of humus formation. Thereafter, quotations from Darwin made out of piety have been rigorously excluded. Subsequent sections each comprise a review chapter and two or three 'case studies' presenting new data on a related topic.
Download or read book Earthworm Engineering and Applications written by Adarsh Pal Vig and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The importance of earthworms in the ecosystem was documented very early by Aristotle, the Greek philosopher who called them "intestines of the earth" and then in 1881 Charles Darwin highlighted their role in the breakdown of dead plants as well as animal matter. In 1994, Jones designated earthworms as ecosystem engineers, due to their important role in the development and maintenance of the physico-chemical properties of soil by converting biodegradable materials and organic wastes into nutrient-rich vermicast. Earthworms enhance the incorporation of plant residue into soil aggregates, create soil porosity and stable aggregate through their burrowing, humus formation, and casting activities. The castings egested by earthworms have generally been assumed to be more stable than the parent soil aggregates and contain certain hormones, enzymes, microorganisms, inorganic and organic materials which it acquires during the passage of soil through the earthworm gut. A large number of plant hormones such as gibberellins, auxins and cytokinins are also present in vermicompost which promotes the growth of plants. Vermiwash is a clear, transparent, pale-yellow liquid obtained from the passage of water during vermiculture. Vermiwash provides nutrients to plants in easily available forms. In addition to vermicompost and vermiwash, the earthworm biomass can further be processed into earthworm meals having an important dietary and pharmaceutical application. The proteins from earthworms are rich in essential amino acids and the enzymes have been known to have anti-coagulating and fibrinolytic properties. Thus, worldwide scientists are working on earthworm biodiversity assessment and evaluation of their ecosystem services and value addition in other environmental management sectors. Efforts have been made in this edited volume to compile the recent application of earthworms in different fields of environmental management and resource conservations. The book contains three sub-sections: earthworms' role in agroecosystem and soil fertility management; vermifiltration; and industrial application of earthworm biomass. A total of 15 chapters are included in this edited volume. The first section compiles a total of nine chapters which mainly describe the role of earthworms in soil fertility maintenance, monitoring soil health and quality, pest management, and the response of agro-management practices on earthworm behaviour in soils. The second section is composed of the application of earthworm-based biofilter systems for wastewater treatment and use of vermi-wash as liquid fertilizer for plant growth promotions and suppression of soil-plant diseases and promoting stress tolerance in plants. The last section mainly describes the pharmaceutical importance of earthworm in disease management and producing some antimicrobial substances from it. In the end, we acknowledge the people and family members who are directly or indirectly associated with the compilation of books and editing. Without their moral and technical support, this book would not see the light of day.
Download or read book Biological Processes and Soil Fertility written by J. Tinsley and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The success of shifting cultivation systems developed by subsistence farmers testifies to the resilience of the "natural" soil-plant ecosystems to recover from the offtake of nutrients in crops and loss of soil struc ture. By contrast, the development of intensive cropping systems requires large inputs especially of nitrogen, together with phosphorus, sulphur and other essential elements in order to maintain the nutrient levels needed for abundant crop yields. As Dr. Cooke ably pointed out in his introductory lecture, the dis coveries and experiments of the 19th century encouraged farmers in temperate zones to rely greatly on chemical fertilizers supplements. However, the work of Charles Da{win on soil mixing by earthworms and the discovery by Hellriegel and Wilfarth in 1886 that the nodules on legume roots contain colonies of symbiotic bacteria able to "capture" atmospheric nitrogen molecules to the benefit of the host plant heralded a growing realization of the importance of soil biota in fertility studies. Biological fixation of nitrogen has been the theme of many meetings and publi~ations hitherto but at this Conference, convened on the delightful campus of Reading University, attention was mainly focussed on other biological processes in soil fertility. These Proceedings record the dominant themes and include six keynote addresses delivered at plenary sessions and seven introductory lectures to paper reading sessions by invited individuals plus 22 of the proferred papers, in six sections as tabled in the contents list.
