Impact of afforestation on earthworm populations in Iceland
Earthworms were collected from different vegetation types in East and West Iceland. The vegetation types in East Iceland were Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) forests, native mountain birch (Betula pubescens) woodlands and open heathlands. The study areas in West Iceland were Sitka spruce (Picea sitc...
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ftskemman:oai:skemman.is:1946/19632 2023-05-15T16:42:21+02:00 Impact of afforestation on earthworm populations in Iceland Bjarni Diðrik Sigurðsson 1966- Bjarni E. Guðleifsson 1942- Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands 2013 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1946/19632 en eng http://www.ias.is/landbunadur/wgsamvef.nsf/Attachment/Sigurdsson%20et%20al%202013/$file/Sigurdsson%20et%20al%202013.pdf Icelandic agricultural science 26(2013), 21-36 1670-567X http://hdl.handle.net/1946/19632 Ánamaðkar Skógrækt Article 2013 ftskemman 2022-12-11T06:50:53Z Earthworms were collected from different vegetation types in East and West Iceland. The vegetation types in East Iceland were Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) forests, native mountain birch (Betula pubescens) woodlands and open heathlands. The study areas in West Iceland were Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests, mountain birch woodlands and open heathlands. Four earthworm species (Dendrobaena octaedra, Dendrodrilus rubidus, Aporrectodea caliginosa, Lumbricus rubellus) were identified at both study areas and two additional ones in the West Iceland (Aporrectodea rosea and Octolasion cyaneum). No significant differences were detected in average earthworm species number and biomass between treeless heathlands and forests in East or West Iceland. There were, however, significant differences between the native deciduous forests and the coniferous plantations in West, but not East Iceland. Time since afforestation was found to have a significant effect on both earthworm diversity and density and should always be included in future studies. All earthworm parameters were positively related to soil N and amount of monocots, but negatively related to soil C/N ratio, tree LAI and tree height. Soil pH had no significant influence on any of the earthworm parameters. The most noteworthy finding was that earthworms were generally found in similar biomass and species richness in the exotic coniferous plantations in Iceland compared to the treeless heathlands, even if earthworm species composition showed strong changes. The findings apply to the first 50 years after establishment of coniferous trees, but an unexpected, large increase in earthworm biomass and species richness in the oldest thinned Siberian larch forests in East Iceland make any generalisation about future trends uncertain. Further earthworm studies in the oldest coniferous forests in Iceland are therefore still needed. Áhrif skógræktar á tegundafjölda, þéttleika og lífmassa ánamaðka á Íslandi Ánamöðkum var safnað í mismunandi ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Skemman (Iceland) |
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Skemman (Iceland) |
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Ánamaðkar Skógrækt |
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Ánamaðkar Skógrækt Bjarni Diðrik Sigurðsson 1966- Bjarni E. Guðleifsson 1942- Impact of afforestation on earthworm populations in Iceland |
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Ánamaðkar Skógrækt |
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Earthworms were collected from different vegetation types in East and West Iceland. The vegetation types in East Iceland were Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) forests, native mountain birch (Betula pubescens) woodlands and open heathlands. The study areas in West Iceland were Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests, mountain birch woodlands and open heathlands. Four earthworm species (Dendrobaena octaedra, Dendrodrilus rubidus, Aporrectodea caliginosa, Lumbricus rubellus) were identified at both study areas and two additional ones in the West Iceland (Aporrectodea rosea and Octolasion cyaneum). No significant differences were detected in average earthworm species number and biomass between treeless heathlands and forests in East or West Iceland. There were, however, significant differences between the native deciduous forests and the coniferous plantations in West, but not East Iceland. Time since afforestation was found to have a significant effect on both earthworm diversity and density and should always be included in future studies. All earthworm parameters were positively related to soil N and amount of monocots, but negatively related to soil C/N ratio, tree LAI and tree height. Soil pH had no significant influence on any of the earthworm parameters. The most noteworthy finding was that earthworms were generally found in similar biomass and species richness in the exotic coniferous plantations in Iceland compared to the treeless heathlands, even if earthworm species composition showed strong changes. The findings apply to the first 50 years after establishment of coniferous trees, but an unexpected, large increase in earthworm biomass and species richness in the oldest thinned Siberian larch forests in East Iceland make any generalisation about future trends uncertain. Further earthworm studies in the oldest coniferous forests in Iceland are therefore still needed. Áhrif skógræktar á tegundafjölda, þéttleika og lífmassa ánamaðka á Íslandi Ánamöðkum var safnað í mismunandi ... |
author2 |
Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bjarni Diðrik Sigurðsson 1966- Bjarni E. Guðleifsson 1942- |
author_facet |
Bjarni Diðrik Sigurðsson 1966- Bjarni E. Guðleifsson 1942- |
author_sort |
Bjarni Diðrik Sigurðsson 1966- |
title |
Impact of afforestation on earthworm populations in Iceland |
title_short |
Impact of afforestation on earthworm populations in Iceland |
title_full |
Impact of afforestation on earthworm populations in Iceland |
title_fullStr |
Impact of afforestation on earthworm populations in Iceland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impact of afforestation on earthworm populations in Iceland |
title_sort |
impact of afforestation on earthworm populations in iceland |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1946/19632 |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_relation |
http://www.ias.is/landbunadur/wgsamvef.nsf/Attachment/Sigurdsson%20et%20al%202013/$file/Sigurdsson%20et%20al%202013.pdf Icelandic agricultural science 26(2013), 21-36 1670-567X http://hdl.handle.net/1946/19632 |
_version_ |
1766032780502761472 |