%0 Journal Article
%T Can We Predict How Earthworm Effects on Plant Growth Vary with Soil Properties?
%A Kam-Rigne Laossi
%A Thibaud DecaŁżns
%A Pascal Jouquet
%A S¨¦bastien Barot
%J Applied and Environmental Soil Science
%D 2010
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2010/784342
%X Earthworms are usually assumed to enhance plant growth through different mechanisms which are now clearly identified. It is however difficult to determine their relative importance, and to predict a priori the strength and direction of the effects of a given earthworm species on a given plant. Soil properties are likely to be very influential in determining plant responses to earthworm activities. They are likely to change the relative strength of the various mechanisms involved in plant-earthworm interactions. In this paper, we review the different rationales used to explain changes in earthworm effect due to soil type. Then, we systematically discuss the effect of main soil characteristics (soil texture, OM, and nutrient contents) on the different mechanisms allowing earthworm to influence plant growth. Finally, we identify the main shortcomings in our knowledge and point out the new experimental and meta-analytical approaches that need to be developed. An example of such a meta-analysis is given and means to go further are suggested. The result highlights a strong positive effect size in sandy soil and a weakly negative effect in clayey soil. 1. Introduction Earthworms are among the most important detritivores in terrestrial ecosystems in terms of biomass and activity [1]. They are known to affect plant growth through five main mechanisms [2, 3]: ( ) the enhancement of soil organic matter mineralization, ( ) the production of plant growth regulators via the stimulation of microbial activity, ( ) the control of pests and parasites, ( ) the stimulation of symbionts, and ( ) the modifications of soil porosity and aggregation, which induce changes in water and oxygen availability to plant roots. Although these mechanisms are well identified, it is difficult to determine their relative influence [4] and to predict the impact of a given earthworm species on a given plant species. In a recent review, Brown et al. [2] proposed that the response of plants to earthworms should depend on soil properties such as texture, mineral nutrient levels, and organic matter content. However, most studies tackling earthworm effects on plant growth used soils containing more sand than clay (Brown et al. [2] and see Table 1). Comparatively, few studies [5¨C7] have tested in the same experiment earthworm effects on plant growth using different soils. Doube et al. [5] showed that the endogeic Aporrectodea trapezoides may increase wheat growth in sandy soils but may have no significant effect with a clayey substrate. They also found that the growth and grain yield of barley were
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aess/2010/784342/