Impacts of earthworm species on soil acidification, Al fractions, and base cation release in a subtropical soil from China.

Impacts of earthworm species on soil acidification, Al fractions, and base cation release in a subtropical soil from China. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019 Apr 10;: Authors: Wu J, Zhang C, Xiao L, Motelica-Heino M, Ren Z, Deng T, Dai J Abstract Soil-exchangeable aluminum (Al) has toxic effects on living organisms in acidic soils. Earthworm presence and activity can alter soil pH, which has a significant influence on Al toxicity. However, the effects of earthworms on soil Al toxicity and fractions are still largely unknown. This laboratory study focused on the effects of three earthworm species (endogeics Pontoscolex corethrurus and Amynthas robustus, anecis Amynthas aspergillum) on soil acidification, Al fraction distribution, and base cation release. Three native earthworm species and a soil (latosolic red soil) collected from a botanical garden in South China were incubated under laboratory conditions. After 40 days of incubation, six Al fractions in soil, namely exchangeable (AlEx), weakly organically bound (AlOrw), organically bound (AlOr), amorphous (AlAmo), Al occluded in crystalline iron oxides (AlOxi), and amorphous aluminosilicate and gibbsite (AlAag) fractions, were extracted using a sequential procedure. Soil pH; organic carbon; total nitrogen; total Al (AlTotal); exchangeable K, Na, Ca, Mg contents; and CEC were determined as well. Compared to control soil, pH values increased by 0.79, 0.41, and 0.57 units in casts in ...
Source: Environmental Science and Pollution Research International - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int Source Type: research