[en] The challenge to sustain food security while halting the loss of biodiversity and soil quality might be achieved by a transformation in agriculture from high-input management of annual crops to a more nature-based solution introducing perennial cropping systems. This study analysed earthworm communities (numbers, biomass, ecological categories) and diversity over two years, from annual wheat and perennial intermediate wheatgrass (IWG, Thinopyrum intermedium, Kernza®) within the EU-Biodiversa project NAPERDIV from Southern to Northern Europe. Study sites in France, Belgium and Sweden represented diverse soil, climatic and plant growth conditions. In total, 16 species were identified with IWG in France having the highest (13) and annual wheat in Belgium and Sweden the lowest (7) species numbers. Improved biodiversity under perennial wheat was indicated by alpha-diversity indices (Simpson index, Shannon-Weaver index, Evenness). Earthworm abundance and biomass were generally significantly higher in IWG across the three sites (GLMM model). The overall mean earthworm number under IWG was 424.7 No. m−2 compared to 164.7 No. m−2 for annual wheat. Mean earthworm biomass under IWG was 83.7 g m−2 relative to 45.9 g m−2 under annual wheat, respectively. Remarkably, mean number of juvenile earthworms was several times higher on IWG sites relative to the annual comparatives. Moreover, endogeic and epigeic earthworms were supported on the IWG plots. Beta diversity (Sorensen coefficient) emphasised highest similarity between Belgium and Sweden and lowest between France and Sweden, indicating a possible South to North distribution within Western Europe. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed discrete clusters for study sites and species distribution (including the subtypes of Allolobophora chlorotica) in relation to soil parameters (pH, soil texture, TOC, TN, WHC, C–N ratio). The CCA additionally discriminated between annual and perennial plots in France. In summary, earthworm communities were more diverse under IWG and seemed to follow a South to North gradient.
Disciplines :
Agriculture & agronomy
Author, co-author :
Förster, Alena ; University of Trier, Faculty of Regional and Environmental Sciences, Department of Soil Science, Trier, Germany ; University of Hohenheim, Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), Stuttgart, Germany
David, Christophe; ISARA, Agroecology and Environment Unit, Lyon, France
Dumont, Benjamin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Plant Sciences
Dimitrova Mårtensson, Linda-Maria; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biosystems and Technology, Alnarp, Sweden
Rasche, Frank; University of Hohenheim, Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), Stuttgart, Germany
Emmerling, Christoph; University of Trier, Faculty of Regional and Environmental Sciences, Department of Soil Science, Trier, Germany
Language :
English
Title :
Earthworm populations and diversity under annual and perennial wheat in a North to South gradient in Western Europe
Sverige Vetenskapsrådet [SE] DFG - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [DE] F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
Funding text :
This research was performed within the frame of the collaborative project NAPERDIV, which was funded through the 2019–2020 BiodivERsA joint call for research proposals, under the BiodivClim ERA-Net COFUND programme , and with the funding organisations German Research Foundation (grant RA 1717/8-1 ).This field study has been made possible by the Swedish Infrastructure for Ecosystem Science (SITES), in this case, SITES Lönnstorp Research Station at SLU. SITES receives funding through the Swedish Research Council under the grant no 2017-00635 ). We thank the Perennial grain group from AGROPOLE-ISARA LYON (Institut supérieur d'agriculture Rhône-Alpes) and Patrice Barrey for the opportunity to use their fields. Furthermore, this work was partly supported by the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS - under grant n° R.8003.20 .Frank Rasche reports financial support was provided by University of Hohenheim Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics.This field study has been made possible by the Swedish Infrastructure for Ecosystem Science (SITES), in this case, SITES Lönnstorp Research Station at SLU. SITES receives funding through the Swedish Research Council under the grant no 2017-00635). We thank the Perennial grain group from AGROPOLE-ISARA LYON (Institut supérieur d'agriculture Rhône-Alpes) and Patrice Barrey for the opportunity to use their fields. Furthermore, this work was partly supported by the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS - under grant n°R.8003.20. We would like to thank Pierre Aubry, Camille Bathellier and Thorsten Ruf for their help on the field. Special thanks to Mickaël Hedde for providing an unpublished interactive earthworm key, which helped with identifying selected species. We also wish to thank Elvira Sieberger and Petra Ziegler for their help with soil sample analysis in the laboratory. This research was performed within the frame of the collaborative project NAPERDIV, which was funded through the 2019–2020 BiodivERsA joint call for research proposals, under the BiodivClim ERA-Net COFUND programme, and with the funding organisations German Research Foundation (grant RA 1717/8-1).
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