Earthworms do not increase greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and N2O) in an ecotron experiment simulating a three-crop rotation system.
Sci Rep
; 13(1): 21920, 2023 12 08.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38081907
ABSTRACT
Earthworms are known to stimulate soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but the majority of previous studies have used simplified model systems or lacked continuous high-frequency measurements. To address this, we conducted a 2-year study using large lysimeters (5 m2 area and 1.5 m soil depth) in an ecotron facility, continuously measuring ecosystem-level CO2, N2O, and H2O fluxes. We investigated the impact of endogeic and anecic earthworms on GHG emissions and ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE) in a simulated agricultural setting. Although we observed transient stimulations of carbon fluxes in the presence of earthworms, cumulative fluxes over the study indicated no significant increase in CO2 emissions. Endogeic earthworms reduced N2O emissions during the wheat culture (- 44.6%), but this effect was not sustained throughout the experiment. No consistent effects on ecosystem evapotranspiration or WUE were found. Our study suggests that earthworms do not significantly contribute to GHG emissions over a two-year period in experimental conditions that mimic an agricultural setting. These findings highlight the need for realistic experiments and continuous GHG measurements.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Oligoquetos
/
Gases de Efeito Estufa
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Rep
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
França