Earthworm-induced shifts in microbial diversity in soils with rare versus established invasive earthworm populations

Alexandre B. De Menezes; Miranda Tendai Prendergast-Miller; Lynne M. Macdonald; Peter Toscas; Geoff Baker; Mark Farrell; Tim Wark; Alan E. Richardson; Peter H. Thrall

doi:10.1093/femsec/fiy051

Earthworm-induced shifts in microbial diversity in soils with rare versus established invasive earthworm populations

Alexandre B. De Menezes, Miranda Tendai Prendergast-Miller, Lynne M. Macdonald, Peter Toscas, Geoff Baker, Mark Farrell, Tim Wark, Alan E. Richardson, Peter H. Thrall

Environment and Geography

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

European earthworms have colonised many parts of Australia, although their impact on soil microbial communities remains largely uncharacterised. An experiment was conducted to contrast the responses to Aporrectodea trapezoides introduction between soils from sites with established (Talmo, 64 A. trapezoides m-2) and rare (Glenrock, 0.6 A. trapezoides m-2) A. trapezoides populations. Our hypothesis was that earthworm introduction would lead to similar changes in bacterial communities in both soils. The effects of earthworm introduction (earthworm activity and cadaver decomposition) did not lead to a convergence of bacterial community composition between the two soils. However, in both soils, the Firmicutes decreased in abundance and a common set of bacteria responded positively to earthworms. The increase in the abundance of Flavobacterium, Chitinophagaceae, Rhodocyclaceae and Sphingobacteriales were consistent with previous studies. Evidence for possible soil resistance to earthworms was observed, with lower earthworm survival in Glenrock microcosms coinciding with A. trapezoides rarity in this site, lower soil organic matter and clay content and differences in the diversity and abundance of potential earthworm mutualist bacteria. These results suggest that while the impacts of earthworms vary between different soils, the consistent response of some bacteria may aid in predicting the impacts of earthworms on soil ecosystems.

Original language	English
Journal	FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
Volume	94
Issue number	5
Early online date	22 Mar 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiy051
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2018

Bibliographical note

© FEMS 2018. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.

Access to Document

10.1093/femsec/fiy051

Earthworm induced shifts_final
© FEMS 2018. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.
Accepted author manuscript, 188 KB

Cite this

@article{a08d49cd37da45e59a578057af99b4df,

title = "Earthworm-induced shifts in microbial diversity in soils with rare versus established invasive earthworm populations",

abstract = "European earthworms have colonised many parts of Australia, although their impact on soil microbial communities remains largely uncharacterised. An experiment was conducted to contrast the responses to Aporrectodea trapezoides introduction between soils from sites with established (Talmo, 64 A. trapezoides m-2) and rare (Glenrock, 0.6 A. trapezoides m-2) A. trapezoides populations. Our hypothesis was that earthworm introduction would lead to similar changes in bacterial communities in both soils. The effects of earthworm introduction (earthworm activity and cadaver decomposition) did not lead to a convergence of bacterial community composition between the two soils. However, in both soils, the Firmicutes decreased in abundance and a common set of bacteria responded positively to earthworms. The increase in the abundance of Flavobacterium, Chitinophagaceae, Rhodocyclaceae and Sphingobacteriales were consistent with previous studies. Evidence for possible soil resistance to earthworms was observed, with lower earthworm survival in Glenrock microcosms coinciding with A. trapezoides rarity in this site, lower soil organic matter and clay content and differences in the diversity and abundance of potential earthworm mutualist bacteria. These results suggest that while the impacts of earthworms vary between different soils, the consistent response of some bacteria may aid in predicting the impacts of earthworms on soil ecosystems.",

author = "{De Menezes}, {Alexandre B.} and Prendergast-Miller, {Miranda Tendai} and Macdonald, {Lynne M.} and Peter Toscas and Geoff Baker and Mark Farrell and Tim Wark and Richardson, {Alan E.} and Thrall, {Peter H.}",

note = "{\textcopyright} FEMS 2018. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher{\textquoteright}s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.",

year = "2018",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1093/femsec/fiy051",

language = "English",

volume = "94",

journal = "FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY",

issn = "0168-6496",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Earthworm-induced shifts in microbial diversity in soils with rare versus established invasive earthworm populations

AU - De Menezes, Alexandre B.

AU - Prendergast-Miller, Miranda Tendai

AU - Macdonald, Lynne M.

AU - Toscas, Peter

AU - Baker, Geoff

AU - Farrell, Mark

AU - Wark, Tim

AU - Richardson, Alan E.

AU - Thrall, Peter H.

N1 - © FEMS 2018. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.

PY - 2018/5/1

Y1 - 2018/5/1

N2 - European earthworms have colonised many parts of Australia, although their impact on soil microbial communities remains largely uncharacterised. An experiment was conducted to contrast the responses to Aporrectodea trapezoides introduction between soils from sites with established (Talmo, 64 A. trapezoides m-2) and rare (Glenrock, 0.6 A. trapezoides m-2) A. trapezoides populations. Our hypothesis was that earthworm introduction would lead to similar changes in bacterial communities in both soils. The effects of earthworm introduction (earthworm activity and cadaver decomposition) did not lead to a convergence of bacterial community composition between the two soils. However, in both soils, the Firmicutes decreased in abundance and a common set of bacteria responded positively to earthworms. The increase in the abundance of Flavobacterium, Chitinophagaceae, Rhodocyclaceae and Sphingobacteriales were consistent with previous studies. Evidence for possible soil resistance to earthworms was observed, with lower earthworm survival in Glenrock microcosms coinciding with A. trapezoides rarity in this site, lower soil organic matter and clay content and differences in the diversity and abundance of potential earthworm mutualist bacteria. These results suggest that while the impacts of earthworms vary between different soils, the consistent response of some bacteria may aid in predicting the impacts of earthworms on soil ecosystems.

AB - European earthworms have colonised many parts of Australia, although their impact on soil microbial communities remains largely uncharacterised. An experiment was conducted to contrast the responses to Aporrectodea trapezoides introduction between soils from sites with established (Talmo, 64 A. trapezoides m-2) and rare (Glenrock, 0.6 A. trapezoides m-2) A. trapezoides populations. Our hypothesis was that earthworm introduction would lead to similar changes in bacterial communities in both soils. The effects of earthworm introduction (earthworm activity and cadaver decomposition) did not lead to a convergence of bacterial community composition between the two soils. However, in both soils, the Firmicutes decreased in abundance and a common set of bacteria responded positively to earthworms. The increase in the abundance of Flavobacterium, Chitinophagaceae, Rhodocyclaceae and Sphingobacteriales were consistent with previous studies. Evidence for possible soil resistance to earthworms was observed, with lower earthworm survival in Glenrock microcosms coinciding with A. trapezoides rarity in this site, lower soil organic matter and clay content and differences in the diversity and abundance of potential earthworm mutualist bacteria. These results suggest that while the impacts of earthworms vary between different soils, the consistent response of some bacteria may aid in predicting the impacts of earthworms on soil ecosystems.

U2 - 10.1093/femsec/fiy051

DO - 10.1093/femsec/fiy051

M3 - Article

SN - 0168-6496

VL - 94

JO - FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY

JF - FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY

IS - 5

ER -