Population characteristics and influencing factors of terrestrial earthworms in Qinling Mountains

Abstract

Earthworms can have an important effect on a variety of processes that determine soil fertility and play a very important role in natural ecosystems. The biomass and density of earthworms in 4 different land utilize types in the Qinling mountains were investigated using the wet funnel method. The relationship between the characteristics of earthworm populations characteristics and environmental factors were analysed, and the significant differences in soil earthworm density (P < 0.05) and fresh weight (P < 0.05) were discovered under different land utilize types, and all showed the highest value in orchard land, followed by woodland and grassland, in addition, the lowest was discovered in cultivated land. In addition, Pearson correlation analysis indicate that soil earthworm population characteristics was strongly negatively correlated with soil ammonium nitrogen (NH4 +-N), and strongly positively correlated with fine root biomass. The clarified relationship between earthworm population characteristics and soil physical and chemical properties will help qualitatively predict and evaluate the ecological functions of terrestrial earthworms in Qinling mountains.