Investigations of annelids at soil monitoring sites in Northern Germany: reference ranges and time-series data
Keywords:
earthworms, enchytraeids, species composition, land use, soil propertiesAbstract
Soil zoological investigations at soil monitoring sites are carried out with the objective to track changes in the soil’s habitat function. At 60 soil-monitoring sites in north-western Germany, earthworms and microannelids (enchytraeids, tubificids and polychaetes) are currently being used as system indicators for the soil biota. Investigations started 1992, followed by re-investigations every 5 to 10 years. Variations in abundance, biomass and species number of annelids are assessed with respect to non- directional fluctuations or directional changes, caused by natural variations of environmental factors or due to management practices. The sites are grouped according to land-use type and site condition into six different categories for which typical ranges of variation of the zoological parameters can be distinguished (reference ranges). Especially at sites that passed three investigations already, major changes become discernible. If the temporal variation goes in the same direction throughout the time series, it is considered a trend. When a value shifts substantially out of its reference range, a change of the system state is probable, especially if this applies for two or more parameters simultaneously. Three examples are given for considerable changes of the annelid community due to land-use change or natural succession. The detection of substantial changes of the community is based mainly on the species composition, but is supported by quantitative parameters using the reference ranges.
References
Abrahamsen, G. (1972): Ecological study of Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta) in Norwegian coniferous forest soils. – Pedobiologia 12: 26–82. Ad-hoc-AG Boden (2005): Bodenkundliche Kartieranleitung. – 5. Auflage, Hannover: 438 pp.
Barth, N., W. Brandtner, E. Cordsen, T. Dann, K.-H. Emmerich, D. Feldhaus, B. Kleefisch, B. Schilling & J. Utermann (2000): Boden-Dauerbeobachtung – Einrichtung und Betrieb von Boden- Dauerbeobachtungsflächen. – In: Rosenkranz, D., G. Bachmann, W. König & G. Einsele (Hrsg.): Bodenschutz. Kennziffer 9152. – Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin: 127 pp.
Beylich, A. & U. Graefe (2002): Annelid coenoses of wetlands representing different decomposer communities. – In: Broll, G., W. Merbach & E.-M. Pfeiffer (eds): Wetlands in Central Europe. Soil organisms, soil ecological processes and trace gas emissions. – Springer Berlin: 1–10.
Beylich, A. & U. Graefe (2007): Lumbriciden in der Boden-Dauerbeobachtung: Darstellung von Referenzbereichen, Baselines und Veränderungstendenzen an Beispielen aus Norddeutschland. – In: Umweltbundesamt (ed.): Bodenbiologische Bewertung von Boden-Dauerbeobachtungsflächen (BDF) anhand von Lumbriciden. Texte 34(07): 33–52.
Bouché, M. B. (1972): Lombriciens de France. Écologie et Systématique. – Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Paris: 671 pp.
Didden, W. (2003): Development and potential of a stereotype as a reference site in ecological monitoring. – In: Didden, W. & P. Van Vliet (eds): Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Enchytraeidae.– Newsletter on Enchytraeidae 8. Wageningen University, Wageningen: 33–40.
Dunger, W. (1991): Zur Primärsukzession humiphager Tiergruppen auf Bergbauflächen. – Zoologisches Jahrbuch Systematik 118: 423–447.
Dunger, W. & H. J. Fiedler (1989): Methoden der Bodenbiologie. – Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart: 432 pp.
Graefe, U. (1993): Die Gliederung von Zersetzergesellschaften für die standortsökologische Ansprache. – Mitteilungen der Deutschen Bodenkundlichen Gesellschaft 69: 95–98.
Graefe, U. (1998): Annelidenzönosen nasser Böden und ihre Einordnung in Zersetzergesellschaften. – Mitteilungen der Deutschen Bodenkundlichen Gesellschaft 88: 109–112.
Graefe, U. & A. Beylich (1999): Bodenbiozönosen als Ausdruck standörtlicher Bedingungen in der Elbtalaue. – Auenreport Sonderband 1: 88–95.
Graefe, U. & A. Beylich (2003): Critical values of soil acidification for annelid species and the decomposer community. – In: Didden, W. & P. Van Vliet (eds): Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Enchytraeidae. – Newsletter on Enchytraeidae 8. Wageningen University, Wageningen: 51–55.
Graefe, U. & R. M. Schmelz (1999): Indicator values, strategy types and life forms of terrestrial Enchytraeidae and other microannelids. – In: Schmelz, R. & K. Sühlo: Newsletter on Enchytraeidae 6. – Universitätsverlag Rasch, Osnabrück: 59–67.
Graefe, U., J. Gehrmann & I. Stempelmann (2001): Bodenzoologisches Monitoring auf EU-Level II- Dauerbeobachtungsflächen in Nordrhein-Westfalen. – Mitteilungen der Deutschen Bodenkundlichen Gesellschaft 96: 331–332.
Gröngröft, A. & M. Karrasch (2005): Wiederholungsuntersuchung an der Boden-Dauerbeobachtungs- fläche Wohldorfer Wald. – Abschlussbericht im Auftrag der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg, Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt, Geologisches Landesamt: 53 pp.
Gröngröft, A., P. Hoyer & L. Schubert (2003): Wiederholungsuntersuchung an der Boden- Dauerbeobachtungsfläche Amsinckpark. – Abschlussbericht im Auftrag der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg, Behörde für Umwelt und Gesundheit, Amt für Umweltschutz: 37 pp.
Huber, S., G. Prokop, D. Arrouays, G. Banko, A. Bispo, R. Jones, M. Kibblewhite, W. Lexer, A. Möller, J. Rickson, T. Shishkov, M. Stephens, J. Van den Akker, G. Varallyay & F. Verheijen (2007): Indicators and Criteria report. – ENVASSO Project (Contract 022713) coordinated by Cranfield University, UK, for Scientific Support to Policy, European Commission 6th Framework Research Programme. – [http://www.envasso.com/Publications/ENV_D2_WP1+Annex_bk.pdf].
Huhta, V. (1984): Response of Cognettia sphagnetorum (Enchytraeidae) to manipulation of pH and nutrient status in coniferous forest soil. – Pedobiologia 27: 245–260.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) (2006a): Soil quality - Sampling of soil invertebrates - Part 1: Hand-sorting and formalin extraction of earthworms. ISO 23611-1. – ISO Geneva.
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) (2006b): Soil quality - Sampling of soil invertebrates - Part 3: Sampling and soil extraction of enchytraeids. ISO 23611-3. – ISO Geneva.
Keplin, B. & G. Broll (2002): Earthworm coenoses in wet grassland of Northwest-Germany. Effects of restoration management on a Histosol and a Gleysol. – In: Broll, G., W. Merbach & E.-M. Pfeiffer (eds): Wetlands in Central Europe. Soil organisms, soil ecological processes and trace gas emissions. – Springer Berlin: 11–34.
Krück, S., M. Joschko, R. Schultz-Sternberg, B. Kroschewski & J. Tessmann (2006): A classification scheme for earthworm populations (Lumbricidae) in cultivated agricultural soils in Brandenburg, Germany. – Journal on Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 169: 651–660.
Langmaack, M., R. Röhrig & S. Schrader (1996): Einfluß der Bodenbearbeitung und Bodenverdichtung auf terrestrische Oligochaeten (Enchytraeidae und Lumbricidae) landwirtschaftlicher Nutzflächen. – Braunschweiger naturkundliche Schriften 5(1): 105–123.
Langmaack, M., S. Schrader, U. Rapp-Bernhardt & K. Kotzke (1999): Quantitative analysis of earthworm burrow systems with respect to biological soil-structure regeneration after soil compaction. – Biology and Fertility of Soils 28: 219–229.
Metzger, F., R. Haag & I. Stempelmann (2005): Bodendauerbeobachtung in NRW - Konzeption und Sachstand. Anhang des Berichts zur Bodendauerbeobachtung in NRW: Standortbeschreibungen, Karten und Kenndaten zu den Flächen. – Landesumweltamt Nordrhein-Westfalen (LUA NRW): 52 pp.
Plum, N. M. & J. Filser (2005): Floods and drought: Response of earthworms and potworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae, Enchytraeidae) to hydrological extremes in wet grassland. – Pedobiologia 49: 443–453.
Quirin, M. & C. Emmerling (2004): Gesamtgutachten zu bodenmikrobiologischen Untersuchungen an den BDF in Schleswig-Holstein im Zeitraum von 1995–2002. – Endbericht im Auftrag des Landesamtes für Natur und Umwelt Schleswig-Holstein: 146 pp.
Römbke, J., S. Jänsch & W. Didden (2005): The use of earthworms in ecological soil classification and assessment concepts. – Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 62: 249–265.
Rutgers, M., C. Mulder & A. J. Schouten (2008): Soil ecosystem profiling in the Netherlands with ten references for biological soil quality. – RIVM report 607604009/2008, RIVM, Bilthoven, The Netherlands: 86 pp.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
All articles from Senckenberg’s SOIL ORGANISMS Open Access scientific journal that are made available on the Senckenberg website (www.senckenberg.de) and also www.soil-organisms.org may be read, copied, distributed, and (in limited quantity) printed for non-commercial, private, scientific purposes.
In accordance with the German Science Foundation’s „Rules for the Safeguarding of Good Scientific Practice“, references to cited articles are to be complete and correct and furnished with a link to the website of the Senckenberg journal in question.
The Senckenberg Society for Nature Research (Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, SGN) is a member of the Leibniz Association (Leibniz-Gemeinschaft) and is therefore committed to the idea of Open Access as explained in the Berlin Declaration (Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Scientific Knowledge, Berliner Erklärung über den offenen Zugang zu wissenschaftlichem Wissen).
Open Access is understood to mean the charge-exempt public access to scientific results via the internet. The users should be able to read, copy, print, search within, and reference the full text without limitation and to use it in any conceivable lawful manner without financial, legal or technical hindrance.
This applies also to the SGN, which publishes various scientific series. Some scientific journals are made available to the public via Open Acess in addition to printed copies.
