Anecic earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) facilitate the burial of surface-applied wood ash

摘要: The purpose of our study was to determine whether earthworms facilitate the burial surface-applied wood ash. We mixed a fluorescent tracer powder with fly ash from commercial biomass boiler track and quantify in microcosms containing different densities deep-burrowing anecic earthworm Lumbricus terrestris L. While passive incorporation ash-tracer mix surface absence limited (rarely penetrating more than 2 cm below surface), increased amount found belowground maximum depths at which observed (up 16 cm deep). suspect that facilitated primarily by creating burrows down could be carried water burying ash-covered leaf litter. Earthworms may help increase efficacy amendment ecosystems where it is impractical manually amendments into soil (e.g. forests).