- Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
We analysed samples of Sparganophilus taken at the corners of its distribution area in Europe (UK, Germany and Italy). No mitochondrial genetic divergence within and amongst them was found, neither in COI nor in 16S. Further, the COI... more
We analysed samples of Sparganophilus taken at the corners of
its distribution area in Europe (UK, Germany and Italy). No
mitochondrial genetic divergence within and amongst them was
found, neither in COI nor in 16S. Further, the COI haplotype
was also identical to two sequences from Ontario, Canada in
the Barcoding of Life Data System (BOLD) database. Our European
COI and 16S sequences showed only minimal differentiation
(only 1 or 2 substitutions) from specimens newly collected
in Illinois and Washington states (USA), as well as from
a COI haplotype from Tennessee (USA) in BOLD. An additional
COI haplotype from Illinois (found in BOLD) is 2.1%
different from the other haplotypes but clearly belongs to the
same lineage of Sparganophilus. This geographically broad but
genetically compact group fits the morphological diagnosis of
S. tamesis Benham, 1892 as revised by Jamieson (1971) and is
seen as evidence that all European populations 1) belong to the
same species, 2) derive from a recent introduction, 3) are conspecific
with the most widespread species of Sparganophilus in
North America, and that 4) S. tamesis is a senior synonym of S.
eiseni Smith, 1895. The single European haplotype does not refute
the possibility of its spread from a single introduced source
population.pe (
its distribution area in Europe (UK, Germany and Italy). No
mitochondrial genetic divergence within and amongst them was
found, neither in COI nor in 16S. Further, the COI haplotype
was also identical to two sequences from Ontario, Canada in
the Barcoding of Life Data System (BOLD) database. Our European
COI and 16S sequences showed only minimal differentiation
(only 1 or 2 substitutions) from specimens newly collected
in Illinois and Washington states (USA), as well as from
a COI haplotype from Tennessee (USA) in BOLD. An additional
COI haplotype from Illinois (found in BOLD) is 2.1%
different from the other haplotypes but clearly belongs to the
same lineage of Sparganophilus. This geographically broad but
genetically compact group fits the morphological diagnosis of
S. tamesis Benham, 1892 as revised by Jamieson (1971) and is
seen as evidence that all European populations 1) belong to the
same species, 2) derive from a recent introduction, 3) are conspecific
with the most widespread species of Sparganophilus in
North America, and that 4) S. tamesis is a senior synonym of S.
eiseni Smith, 1895. The single European haplotype does not refute
the possibility of its spread from a single introduced source
population.pe (
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1. Abstract Annelid coenoses in wet soils reveal specific characteristics in relation to the pre- vailing complex of abiotic and biotic factors effective in these soils. Especially, the presence or lack of oxygen in the topsoil is of... more
1. Abstract Annelid coenoses in wet soils reveal specific characteristics in relation to the pre- vailing complex of abiotic and biotic factors effective in these soils. Especially, the presence or lack of oxygen in the topsoil is of great influence for species composi- tion and vertical distribution of annelids in wet soils. Some annelids, for example most of the smaller
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ABSTRACT
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The composition of the annelid coenosis (earthworms, enchytraeids and other microannelids) of 54 soil monitoring sites in northwest Germany was investigated. The monitoring sites cover all important soils, substrates and management types.... more
The composition of the annelid coenosis (earthworms, enchytraeids and other microannelids) of 54 soil monitoring sites in northwest Germany was investigated. The monitoring sites cover all important soils, substrates and management types. pH-values (CaCl2) in the topsoil range from 2.9 to 7.4. Along the gradient of soil reaction, the distribution curves of different annelid species are presented. By overlaying the curves, typical areas of similar respectively diverse species composition emerge, which correspond to different decomposer community types. This form of presentation visualizes at which degree of soil acidification the soil faunal community switches from one domain to another. It is considered under which conditions liming may shift the community into the domain where soil dwelling earthworms will initiate an improvement of the humus form.
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Principal abiotic factors controlling the activity of enchytraeids and earthworms are generally known. Far less information is available on the influence of interactions between both groups. Data from soil monitoring sites in... more
Principal abiotic factors controlling the activity of enchytraeids and earthworms are generally known. Far less information is available on the influence of interactions between both groups. Data from soil monitoring sites in North-Western Germany provide information on earthworm and microannelid activity. Changes in the relation of both groups require interpretation with respect to soil condition changes. The data were analysed with respect to possible patterns in the relationship of earthworm and microannelid activity and influencing factors concerning antagonistic or similar development of both groups. The total abundance of both groups is not significantly correlated for the land-use types forest, grassland and cropland. Stronger correlations are found on the genus or species level. We selected a number of site examples with repeated sampling for opposing trends of both annelid groups as well as similar trends and specify for each case possible determining environmental factors....
Soil decomposer communities of grassland are influenced by management measures. Among these, nutrient input is one principal factor for soil fauna. Its effects depend on the frequency, season and type of fertilizing measures, but also on... more
Soil decomposer communities of grassland are influenced by management measures. Among these, nutrient input is one principal factor for soil fauna. Its effects depend on the frequency, season and type of fertilizing measures, but also on soil properties. Fertilizing measures on the one hand have an immediate effect on soil fauna due to changes of chemical and biological soil properties. On the other hand, also long-term effects of certain fertilization strategies are possible. A major scope of biological soil monitoring is to detect long-term changes caused by changing environmental and anthropogenic conditions, including management practices. At soil monitoring sites, therefore, detailed data on management measures are collected in addition to the measurement of soil chemical and biological parameters. We analysed results from the assessment of earthworms and microannelids on soil monitoring sites on grassland in Schleswig-Holstein in relation to slurry application. The focus was o...
The purpose of the German Soil Protection Act is to protect or restore natural soil functions on a permanent sustainable basis. No provisions are given for the habitat function for soil organisms. The technical committee "Biological... more
The purpose of the German Soil Protection Act is to protect or restore natural soil functions on a permanent sustainable basis. No provisions are given for the habitat function for soil organisms. The technical committee "Biological Assessment of Soils" of the German Soil Association (Bundesverband Boden e.V.) has developed a method for the assessment of soil quality with respect to its habitat function in the frame of planning processes. A main component of the method is the mapping of soil organism communities as a prerequisite for the subsequent evaluation process.
In sediments of the river Alster in Hamburg we found a large population of a curious earthworm which we could identify as Sparganophilus tamesis Benham, 1892, hitherto unknown from Germany. After the first description from England the... more
In sediments of the river Alster in Hamburg we found a large population of a curious earthworm which we could identify as Sparganophilus tamesis Benham, 1892, hitherto unknown from Germany. After the first description from England the species was described several times under different names from North and Central America (Smith 1895, Eisen 1896) and from France (Tétry 1934). The synonymy of these species was repeatedly reviewed (e.g. Cernosvitov 1945, Jamieson 1971). Sparganophilus langi Bouché & Qiu, 1998, from Switzerland (Lake Geneva) is probably also a junior synonym of Sparganophilus tamesis. Its description as new species is apparently due to a misleading characterization of S. tamesis in the key given by Reynolds (1980). Sparganophilus tamesis seems to have persistent populations in Europe. It is arguable whether this distribution should be explained by past geological relations between the American and European continents (Cernosvitov 1945, Omodeo 1963, Bouché & Qiu 1998) o...
Untersuchungen auf Boden-Dauerbeobachtungsflächen (BDF) liefern im bodenzoologischen Programmteil u.a. Daten zur Biodiversität im Boden. Aussagen über deren Entwicklung werden insbesondere dann möglich, wenn nicht nur der Regenwurmbesatz,... more
Untersuchungen auf Boden-Dauerbeobachtungsflächen (BDF) liefern im bodenzoologischen Programmteil u.a. Daten zur Biodiversität im Boden. Aussagen über deren Entwicklung werden insbesondere dann möglich, wenn nicht nur der Regenwurmbesatz, sondern auch eine artenreichere Gruppe der Mesofauna erfasst und bis zum Niveau der Art ausgewertet wird. Dies erfolgt in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg und Nordrhein-Westfalen seit 1992 durch die Untersuchung der Regenwürmer und Enchyträen (Kleinringelwürmer).
The characterization of topsoils has received enhanced attention, particularly for environmental monitoring. Traditional national and international soil taxonomies hardly consider the topsoil in spite of its importance for soil quality.... more
The characterization of topsoils has received enhanced attention, particularly for environmental monitoring. Traditional national and international soil taxonomies hardly consider the topsoil in spite of its importance for soil quality. Many years ago the FAO "Topsoil Characterization for Sustainable Land Management" was developed to be used for describing topsoils additionally to the soil profile description. Recommendations for a revision and expansion of the FAO "Topsoil Characterization" including a combination with the "World Reference Base for Soil Resources" (WRB) have been made, but so far no new concept has been developed. Meanwhile a framework for a detailed A horizon characterization has been developed within a Canadian German research project. Also, recently discussion on a "Universal Soil Classification System" combining WRB with the US Soil taxonomy is under preparation. In this system special attention is paid to the harmonizati...
Although topsoils are primarily affected by environmental change, topsoil classification is not commonly used in environmental monitoring. We suggest that defining a system of topsoil conditions will be an advance in understanding and... more
Although topsoils are primarily affected by environmental change, topsoil classification is not commonly used in environmental monitoring. We suggest that defining a system of topsoil conditions will be an advance in understanding and monitoring the effects of stressors like climate change, land-use change, agricultural practices or chemical contaminants on soil quality. In particular, biological features are considered being sensitive indicators of topsoil conditions. They are topsoil features per se, due to the fact that the activity of soil organisms is largely centred on the uppermost part of the soil profile. Here we propose that a first step towards developing a more comprehensive topsoil classification is to identify the biological similarities of topsoils across a broad range of sites and land uses. There is evidence that, in spite of the immense species diversity of soil biota, the species composition is often very similar across widely different soil types. Furthermore, th...
Global warming primarily affects topsoil processes such as organic matter turnover observable as changes of the humus form. We studied the influence of pedoclimate on the biological and morphological development of humus profiles in... more
Global warming primarily affects topsoil processes such as organic matter turnover observable as changes of the humus form. We studied the influence of pedoclimate on the biological and morphological development of humus profiles in spruce forests on basaltic latite debris in the Southern Alps (Val di Fassa, Trentino, Italy). Four sites were selected differing in exposure (south-facing, north-facing) and altitude (1600 m, 1900 m) allowing paired comparisons (same altitude, different exposure vs. same exposure, different altitude). Measurements included abundance, species composition and vertical distribution of microannelids as well as polyphasic biochemical fingerprinting of soil microbial communities by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and phospholipid fatty acid analysis. The vertical distribution of microannelid abundance and microbial biomass showed similar patterns and provided evidence that the organic layer is the hotspot of biological activity in the studied humus pr...
Sampling of various terrestrial habitats (woodland, grassland, sea edge) of Hawthorn Dene and surroundings within the Magnesian Limestone plateau of County Durham yielded 17 species of Enchytraeidae and the naidid/tubificid Rhyacodrilus... more
Sampling of various terrestrial habitats (woodland, grassland, sea edge) of Hawthorn Dene and surroundings within the Magnesian Limestone plateau of County Durham yielded 17 species of Enchytraeidae and the naidid/tubificid Rhyacodrilus falciformis. Five enchytraeid species were recorded for the first time in the British Isles: Fridericia auritoides, F. maculatiformis, F. semisetosa, F. sylvatica, and F. isseli.
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ABSTRACT
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... P = semi-permanent pool; R = vegetation with Phragmites australis and Carex spp.; DR = vegetation with Calamagrostis epigejos; H = vegetation with Erica tetralix. PU = location of the piezometer no. ... Erica tetralix 7 - 6 5 6 - 5 7... more
... P = semi-permanent pool; R = vegetation with Phragmites australis and Carex spp.; DR = vegetation with Calamagrostis epigejos; H = vegetation with Erica tetralix. PU = location of the piezometer no. ... Erica tetralix 7 - 6 5 6 - 5 7 8 8 8 5 9 7 7 - - 3 5 3 6 ...