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Earthworms as ecosystem engineers : a review

Le Bayon, Renée-Claire
•
Bullinger-Weber, Géraldine
•
Schomburg, Andreas Cedric  
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Horton, G. Clayton
2017
Earthworms. Types, roles and research

The concept of ecosystem engineering has emerged decades ago and highlights the direct or indirect modulation of available resources by organisms through their biological activities. Ecosystem engineers create biogenic structures (aggregates, burrows) that may serve as habitats for other species than themselves. This chapter aims at overviewing the key role played by earthworms as ecosystem engineers through their bioturbation activities involving soil mixing as well as their influence on the decomposition and mineralization of litter by breaking down organic matter, and their influence on the gas and water exchange or nutrient transfer in the soil. Focus is made on the engineering processes and especially the formation of biogenic structures in relation to soil structure (burrows, casts) in the framework of soil function interactions, particularly in the drilosphere. Special attention is paid to soil aggregates’ fabric and new tools that may help to discriminate their origin. Finally, management and ecosystem engineer’s future challenges will be highlighted regarding soil ecosystem services in the context of ecosystem restoration.

  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
book part or chapter
Author(s)
Le Bayon, Renée-Claire
•
Bullinger-Weber, Géraldine
•
Schomburg, Andreas Cedric  
•
Turberg, Pascal  
•
Schlaepfer, Rodolphe
•
Guenat, Claire  
Editors
Horton, G. Clayton
Date Issued

2017

Publisher

Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Publisher place

New York

Published in
Earthworms. Types, roles and research
ISBN of the book

978-1-53612-176-6

Start page

129

End page

177

Series title/Series vol.

Insects and other terrestrial Arthropods : biology, chemistry and behavior

Subjects

earthworms

•

bioturbation

•

hotspots

•

drilosphere

•

ecosystem services

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
ECOS  
Available on Infoscience
August 2, 2017
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/139514
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