SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS OF TREE IDENTITY SPECIES TO

EARTHWORM COMMUNITIES

By :

Wafiyyatunnufus (B1B015006)
Hasnadhiazahra Rohadi (B1B015028)
Angelin Marhavyna Cristy (B1B015030)

ECOLOGY STRUCTURAL TASK

MINISTRY OF RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY, AND HIGHER EDUCATION

JENDERAL SOEDIRMAN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF BIOLOGY
PURWOKERTO
2018
 I. INTRODUCTION

I.1. Background

Over the last years, biodiversity was always indicated or had positive effects on
various ecosystem functions. However, in real nature, biodiversity thats changing is not
only a result of species extinctions and invasions, but also changing the dominance
structures, that was indicating the need to understand how evenness or dominance of
species influences ecosystem functions. Different tree species are likely influence on
soil organisms and the processes driven by them. Litter diversity that produced from
each tree determine the decomposition rates to a large extent through their impacts on
soil macrofauna. Such as, monospecific litter, will increasing litter diversity that may
improve nutrient availability and microclimatic conditions for microbial decomposers
and detritivores in accelerated decomposition of the constituent litter species.
There was several studied that found soil and forest floor characteristics
profoundly affect the composition and abundance of earthworm populations.
Earthworms are ecosystem engineers that can physically, chemically and biologically
modify their environment, impacting the habitat and the resources for other organisms
and consequently providing a wide diversity of ecosystem services. It also contributes in
facilitation of nutrient cycling and formation of stable humic compounds and mineral
soil C sequestration.
Earthworm species can be classified according to their morphological features,
habitat choice and feeding habits into three ecological groups: epigeic, endogeic and
anecic earthworms. First, epigeic earthworms, or ‘litter-dwellers’, are detrivorous
species feeding mainly on fresh or partially decomposed litter on or near the soil
surface. They contribute to litter fragmentation, but have too little muscular power to
enter the mineral soil. Given the important organic acid production in accumulating
forest floors, most epigeic species are tolerant to acid conditions. For example,
Dendrobaena octaedra that usually present in Pinus, Picea or Fagus stands. Secondly,
endogeic earthworms, or ‘soil-dwellers’, are geophagous earthworms feeding on largely
humified soil organic matter and dead roots. They are literally eating their way through
the shallow soil and, thereby, ingesting large quantities of soil and mixing this with
organic material. Most of these species are very sensitive to soil acidification. For
example: Aporrectodea caliginosa. Thirdly, anecic earthworms, or ‘deep-burrowers’,
are also detrivorous but differ from epigeic earthworms by their ability to create deep
vertical burrows in the mineral soil. They can pull leaf litter from the soil surface into
their burrows. The anecic species Lumbricus terrestris is known for removing
significant quantities of litter from the forest floor, while casts are mainly deposited at
the soil surface. This species can occur in a broad pH-range 4.0–7.2. In forests, the
environmental factors that regulate earthworm communities include litter traits and soil
characteristics, mainly clay content, pH, base saturation, soil moisture content, organic
matter content and aluminium (Al) toxicity.
In this paper will elaborate how the tree diversity and tree identity effects on
earthworm communities, which are key organisms in the soil that had strong influences
on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. They often dominate the biomass
of soil fauna and represent main contributors to litter fragmentation and burial. The size
and structure of earthworm communities depend on the identity of the present tree
species, probably due to differences in litter palatability and soil chemistry. Litter C/N
ratio and polyphenol content determine litter palatability with directly impacts on the
presence of earthworms. According to Satchell (1967), reported that earthworms to
selectively feed on litter material with high soluble carbohydrate content with freshly
fallen litter of some tree species becoming only palatable after microbial decay.
There’s only little information that is known about the effects of tree diversity
and tree identity on earthworm communities. Only a few studies investigated
earthworms is more diverse in tree stands and earthworm abundance positively related
to the number of tree species. In this site, we will investigate the influences of tree
diversity and identity on earthworm communities. There are three different measures of
diversity: (1) tree species richness, (2) functional diversity, and (3) evenness.
I.2. Formulation of the problem
1. What is the best predictor of tree functional diversity to the earthworm
community structure?
2. How does the effects of tree identity are stronger than the tree diversity effects?

I.3. Objectives
The objectives of this research was conducted to investigate the influence of tree
diversity and tree identity on earthworm communities.
 II. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Earthworms were sampled in three different tree diversity experiments in Central

Germany, which consisted of several plots. There are three experimental sites, which
are namely namely: BIOTREE-FD and BIOTREE-SIMPLEX, both in Thuringia and
Kreinitz experiment in Saxony. The BIOTREE-FD site has Mean annual temperature is
7.9oC, and annual precipitation is 553 mm. The bedrock consists of limestone, and pH is
about 6.9. The plots were planted with a constant number of four tree species. The
BIOTREE-SIMPLEX site has a mean annual temperature is 7.8oC, and precipitation is
650 mm. The bedrock belongs to the Lower Buntsandstein formation and leads to a
rather low cation exchange capacity. Therefore, soil pH is low in the upper soil horizons
compared to the other sites. The SIMPLEX site comprises 36 plots of 16 x 16 m,
differing in tree density and dominance structure. Then, The Kreinitz experiment has a
mean annual temperature is 8.4oC, and precipitation is 575 mm. The soil consists
mainly of loose and partly gravelly sandy alluvial deposits, and soil pH is about 5.5.
Two fast decomposing and two slowly decomposing deciduous tree species and two
slowly decomposing coniferous species were used to generate a gradient in tree species
richness. Sampling at the Kreinitz experiment was performed on 96 plots (all plots
except two control plots without trees) and one replicate per plot, which was influenced
by all target tree species per plot.
At each of the three experimental sites earthworm communities were recorded
during two days in spring of 2013. Earthworm sampling was performed by extraction
from soil by applying mustard solution, which is a relatively time-saving and
nondestructive, which is an efficient method. After that made a steel frame of 0.5 x 0.5
m (0.25 m2) which was pressed on the floor and understory vegetation and then the leaf
litter inside of the frame were removed and immediately searched for earthworms. After
that, it was obtained 2324 earthworms from 9 species were identified; one anecic
species, four epigeic species, and four endogeic species. The earthworm species is
showned by the below Table 2.1.
 Table 2.1 Characteristics of the tree study sites

FD: Functional Diversity, EVEN: Evenness; SR: tree species richness

Based on the table above, in all three diversity experiments, earthworm
communities were significantly influenced by the presence of certain tree species. The
identity effects were caused by only four tree species out of the 18 tree species at the
experimental sites. Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst) and European larch (Larix
decidua L.) had always negative effects, whereas Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and
oak (Q. petraea Liebl. interspersed with Q. robur L.) influenced earthworm communities
in a positive way.
 At BIOTREE-FD, larch negatively influenced the density of total earthworms
(-46%) and endogeics (-41%). The diversity of earthworms was not significantly
affected by the presence of larch, whereas the Shannon index slightly increased. Scots
pine had exceptionally beneficial effects, which were significant on the total earthworm
density (+58%), the number (+152%) and biomass (+190%) of epigeics, and the number
of endogeics (+44%). The effect of Scots pine on the species richness of earthworms
was also positive (+18%), but only marginally significant.
At BIOTREE-SIMPLEX, spruce affected some earthworm groups
significantly negatively, whereas oak had positive effects on some groups (Table 2).
The increasing dominance of spruce from 10% to 70% caused a significant decline in
total earthworm density (-69%) and biomass (-71%) as well as in the Shannon diversity
index (-60%). These differences became even more pronounced when comparing plots
with 25% and 70% spruce, respectively. Significant effects due to the increasing
dominance of oak were restricted to an increase in total earthworm density (+153%) and
biomass (+136%) and an increase in density (+427%) and biomass (+283%) of epigeic
earthworms
At the Kreinitz experiment, spruce was the only tree species. The presence of
spruce affected all analyzed earthworm community properties in a significantly negative
way (Table 2). Plots with spruce had lower earthworm densities (-43%) and biomass (-
41%), species richness (-22%), and Shannon diversity (-41%). The presence of spruce
decreased anecic earthworm density (-50%) and biomass (-45%) as well as, to a similar
extent, the density (50%) and biomass (56%) of epigeic earthworms. Endogeics also
decreased in density (-35%) and biomass (-31%), but not as strongly as the other groups
did.

Figure 2.1. Earthworm density dan diversity in BIOTREE-FD Sites.

 Figure 2.1 shows that the density of eathworms was not significantly affected
by the presence of larch (-46%), while Scots pine had exceptionally beneficial effects,
to the significant total earthworm density (58%). Larch reduced the total number of
earthworms, mainly due to the high C/N-ratio and the high lignin content of larch litter
and the dense canopy. While, pine that shows a positive effects to the earthworm
because it was growing less well than other species during the first years of the
experiment. But there is a slightly increasing shanon index in the Figure 2.1. B as
mentioned before, the absence of larch could increased the density of earthworms
community in the soils.

Figure 2.2. Earthworm density and diversity in BIOTREE-SIMPLEX Sites.

Figure 2.2. shows that the increasing dominance of spruce from 10% to 70%
caused a significant decline to the total earthworm density, whereas oak had positive
effects on it. These differences became even more pronounced when comparing plots
with 25% and 70% spruce, respectively, caused a significant decline in total earthworm
density (-71%) based on the Shannon diversity index (3D). And for the reason why oak
had positive effects, evenly oak is a slow decomposing deciduous species but it has
good quality litter than others.

Figure 2.3. Earthworm density and diversity in Kreinitz Sites

 At this site, spruce was the only tree species which showed significant identity
effects. The presence of spruce affected negatively significant to earthworm community.
Plots with spruce had lower earthworm densities (-43%) and Shannon diversity (-41%).
Spruce stands is less buffered against further acidification. In addition, spruce has high
polyphenol concentration of spruce litter that reduces the activity of earthworm and has
the dense canopy of spruce stands that have negative effects on earthworms. This dense
canopy, will intercepted the light and water to reach the forest floor and thus lowers soil
water content and soil temperature.
 III. CONCLUSION

Based on the discussion can be concluded that that earthworm communities in

tree stands of ≤10 y are driven by tree identity rather than by tree diversity. It can be
seen from the three experiments that has been done, there are BIOTREE-FD,
BIOTREE-SIMPLEX, and Kreinitz experiment. In the BIOTREE-FD test, larch
shows to have negative effect on earthworms community in soil (-46%) while Scots
pine had exceptionally beneficial effects, to the significant total earthworm density
(58%). In both BIOTREE-SIMPLEX and Kreinitz experiment shows that spruce
respectively, caused a significant decline in total earthworm density (-71%) in the
BIOTREE-SIMPLEX and (-43%) in the Kreinitz experiment. Also in the
BIOTREE-SIMPLEX experiment, oaks seems to have positive effects to the
earthworms community in soil.
 REFERENCES

Schelfhout S., Mertens J., Verheyen K., Vesterdal L., Baeten L., Muys B., and De
Schrijver A. 2017. Tree Species Identity Shapes Earthworm
Communities. FOREST. 8(85), PP. 1-20.
Schwarz B., Dietrich c., Cesarz s., Scherer-Lorenzen M., Auge H., Schulz E.,
Eisenhauer N. 2015. Non-significant tree diversity but significant
identity effects on earthworm communities in three tree diversity
experiments. European Journal of Soil Biology. 67(2015), PP. 17-26.