Abstract

RAMIREZ PISCO, Ramiro; GUZMAN ALVAREZ, María Elena  and  LEIVA ROJAS, Edna Ivonne. Population Dynamics of Earthworms in an Andisol under Different Soil Use Systems. Rev. Fac. Nac. Agron. Medellín [online]. 2013, vol.66, n.2, pp.7045-7055. ISSN 0304-2847.

The taxonomic composition of the population of earthworms in Andisol was evaluated on the rural area of Montañitas, Marinilla municipality (Antioquia, Colombia), under different conditions: after 5 and 10 years of farming, after 5 and 10 years of fallow as well as under pristine conditions. The sampling was performed by using the method of the monolith, proposed by the program Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF). The specimens were obtained by direct extraction from each sample, which then were characterized and described according to genera found under each condition, and then relate land usage. Three different genera of earthworms were found: Pontoscolex corenthrurus, Amynthas corticis and Martiodrilus sp. In the virgin soil P. corenthrurus was present, the soil with five years of tillage showed a predominance of A. corticis and low presence of Martiodrilus sp. In soils after 10 years of tillage no annelid was found; however, during the fallow, earthworm population increased significantly. It was found that the stable aggregates decreased depending on the duration of soil tillage, that it increased during fallow periods associated with the density of earthworms and their concentration in the first 10 cm of depth, confirming their involvement in the aggregation of soil.

Keywords : Olygocheta; tillage; fallow; soil estructure.

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