The role of hedgerows in soil functioning within agricultural landscapes

摘要: Intensification of agriculture has led to major losses hedgerows and field margins worldwide. Soil sample extraction, in situ time series soil moisture, temperature water quality analyses, annual earthworm sampling arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi enabled comparison functions between typical hedgerows, grass margins, pasture arable (mainly winter wheat) fields a temperate, lowland setting. Mean bulk density (upper 50 cm), surface compaction moisture content were significantly lower while organic matter porewater dissolved carbon concentrations greater hedgerow soils, than or fields. nitrate phosphate three ten times larger, respectively, solutions under ammonium least Saturated hydraulic conductivity was (median = 102 mm hr−1) where it took an average one hour longer for soils reach maximum following rainfall, adjacent (median = 3 mm (median = 27 mm hr−1). Hedgerow had proportion flow through micropores less macropore other soils. The margin the largest (>85%) more (and larger) anecic species, such as Lumbricus terrestris which produce vertical burrows. Earthworm density, biomass diversity followed by tended be lowest For both total AM fungi, hosted distinct heterogeneous community, communities diverse but clustered together, formed cluster, with low inter-sample variation fungal richness. findings demonstrate that should conserved, can provide important on farmland including storing carbon, promoting infiltration runoff, increasing hosting communities.