Abstract
This paper describes data of earthworm abundance and functional group diversity regulate plant litter decay and soil organic carbon (SOC) level in global terrestrial ecosystems. The data also describes the potential effect of vegetation types, litter quality, litterbag mesh size, soil C/N, soil aggregate size, experimental types and length of experimental time on earthworm induced plant litter and SOC decay. The data were collected from 69 studies published between 1985 and 2018, covering 340 observations. This data article is related to the paper “Earthworm Abundance and Functional Group Diversity Regulate Plant Litter Decay and Soil Organic Carbon Level: A Global Meta-analysis” [1].
Keywords: Anecic worms, Endogeic worms, Epigeic worms, Forest floor mass, Litter decomposition, Soil carbon
Specifications Table
Subject | Ecology, Soil Science |
Specific subject area | Earthworm ecology, litter decomposition, soil carbon |
Type of data | Table |
How data were acquired | Systematic review of the literature |
Data format | Raw |
Parameters for data collection | We used three different combinations of keywords: earthworm and litter decomposition; earthworm and forest floor; earthworm and soil carbon. |
Description of data collection | Data were collected from the ISI-Web of Science and Google Scholar. |
Data source location | 18 countries over five continents |
Data accessibility | With the article |
Related research article | Wei Huang, Grizelle Gonzalez, Xiaoming Zou, Earthworm Abundance and Functional Group Diversity Regulate Plant Litter Decay and Soil Organic Carbon Level: A Global Meta-analysis, Applied Soil Ecology, in press, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2019.103473. [1] |
Value of the Data
|
1. Data description
Data were extracted from peer-reviewed journal papers published between 1985 and 2018. Totally 340 observations from 69 studies were included. Detailed data are listed in Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, Table 4, Table 5, giving the following information: location, ecosystem, earthworm density, annual litter decomposition rate, earthworm function group, the response ratio (R), mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, experimental type, experimental duration, litter quality, forest floormass thickness and carbon stock, soil carbon concentration, soil C/N, soil aggregate size, and literature reference.
Table 1.
Location, earthworm density, plant litter decomposition rate, and earthworm functional group in crop fields, tree plantations and forests worldwide for curve estimation.
Location | Ecosystem | Earthworm density (no./m2) | Annual litter decomposition rate (y−1) | Earthworm function group | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Georgia, USA | Crop | ||||
Soy bean | 176 | 1.67 | Mixture | [3] | |
Rye | 176 | 1.45 | Mixture | ||
Queensland, Australia | Sugarcane | 199 | 1.88 | Endogeic | [4] |
Plantation | |||||
Dublin, Ireland | Salix | 189 | 1.69 | Mixture | [5] |
Carlshead, UK | Short Rotation Forestry | 152 | 0.91 | Mixture | [6] |
Natural forest | |||||
Puerto Rico, USA | Tabonuco (Upland) | 45 | 1.47 | Mixture | [7] |
Tabonuco (Riparian) | 16 | 0.94 | Mixture | ||
Anduze, France | Chestnut | 86 | 1.50 | Mixture | [8,9] |
86 | 0.55 | Mixture | |||
86 | 1.10 | Mixture | |||
86 | 0.64 | Mixture | |||
4 | 0.71 | Anecic | |||
4 | 0.56 | Anecic | |||
4 | 0.50 | Anecic | |||
4 | 0.37 | Anecic | |||
28 | 0.52 | Mixture | |||
28 | 0.52 | Mixture | |||
28 | 0.48 | Mixture | |||
28 | 0.25 | Mixture | |||
Skane, Sweden | Beech | 2.5 | 0.33 | Epigeic | [10] |
39.8 | 0.60 | Mixture | |||
219.7 | 2.15 | Mixture | |||
Hawaii, USA | Metrosiderus | 21 | 0.37 | Mixture | [11,12] |
Puerto Rico, USA | Tabonuco (Control) | 168.8 | 1.12 | Mixture | [13] |
Tabonuco (Fertilization) | 29.33 | 0.84 | Endogeic | ||
Subtropical lower montane rain forest (Control) | 12 | 0.7 | mixture | ||
Subtropical lower montane rain forest (Fertilization) | 19 | 1.49 | Mixture | ||
Ontario, Canada | Sugar maple and American beech | 67.675 | 0.39 | Mixture | [14] |
Colorado, USA | Aspen Forest | 44.44 | 0.36 | Mixture | [15] |
44.44 | 0.31 | Mixture | |||
Pine Forest | 0.77 | 0.29 | Epigeic | ||
0.77 | 0.25 | Epigeic | |||
New York State, USA | Sugar maple | 79.6 | 1.05 | Mixture | [16] |
26.5 | 0.51 | Mixture | |||
99.4 | 1.27 | Mixture | |||
26.1 | 0.6 | Mixture | |||
Oak | 81.6 | 0.96 | Mixture | ||
26.4 | 0.53 | Mixture | |||
92.6 | 1.16 | Mixture | |||
21.5 | 0.63 | Mixture |
Table 2.
The location, biome, mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), experimental type, experimental duration, earthworm functional group, earthworm numbers, litter quality for observations about the effects of earthworm on litter decomposition in the meta-analysis.
Location | Ecosystems | MAT (oC) | MAP (mm) | Experimental type | Experimental period (days) | Earthworm functional group | Litter type | Litter C/N | Litter bag mesh size (mm) | Effect size | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Puerto Rico, USA | Pasture | 22–26 | 3500 | Field | 365 | Endogeic | Leaf | 26 | 1 | 2.62 | [17] |
Pasture | 22–26 | 3500 | Field | 365 | Endogeic | Root | 101 | 1 | 1.10 | ||
Forest | 20.8–24.5 | 3456 | Field | 365 | Mixture | Leaf | 32 | 1 | 1.22 | ||
Forest | 20.8–24.5 | 3456 | Field | 365 | Mixture | Root | 101 | 1 | 1.12 | ||
Maryland, USA | Forest (Tulip poplar Association-mature) | Field | 240 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 2.29 | [18] | |||
Field | 240 | Mixture | Leaf | 1 | 1.12 | ||||||
Anduze, France | Forest | 11.9 | 1212 | Field | 760 | Mixture | Leaf | 5 | 2.33 | [8] [9] |
|
Field | 760 | Mixture | Leaf | 5 | 1.75 | ||||||
Field | 760 | Mixture | Leaf | 5 | 2.42 | ||||||
Field | 760 | Mixture | Leaf | 5 | 1.492 | ||||||
Chicago, USA | Forest (Buckthorn) | Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 33.76 | [19] | ||||
Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 2.32 | |||||||
Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 1.95 | |||||||
Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 1.64 | |||||||
Forest (mesic) | Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 9.81 | ||||||
Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 3.73 | |||||||
Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 2.33 | |||||||
Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 2.56 | |||||||
Forest (maple) | Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 2.79 | ||||||
Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 0.77 | |||||||
Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 1.73 | |||||||
Field | 365 | Leaf | 4 | 0.94 | |||||||
Ibadan, Nigeria | Crop | Lab | 56 | Epigeic | Leaf | 10.1 | 2.53 | [20] | |||
Field | 56 | Epigeic | Leaf | 10.1 | 1.98 | ||||||
New York, USA | Forest (Oak) | 1000 | Field | 190 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 0.98 | [21] | ||
Field | 190 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 1.077 | ||||||
Forest (Sugar maple) | Field | 190 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 1.027 | |||||
Field | 190 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 1.11 | ||||||
Forest (Oak) | Field | 340 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 1.35 | |||||
Field | 340 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 1.51 | ||||||
Forest (Sugar maple) | Field | 340 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 2.58 | |||||
Field | 340 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 1.53 | ||||||
Forest (Oak) | Field | 540 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 1.68 | |||||
Field | 540 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 2.41 | ||||||
Forest (Sugar maple) | Field | 540 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 1.56 | |||||
Field | 540 | Mixture | Leaf | 10 | 2.59 | ||||||
Guangdong, China | Lab | 126 | Endogeic | Leaf | 0.93 | [22] | |||||
Lab | 126 | Anecic | Leaf | 1.42 | |||||||
Baden Wurttemberg, Germany | 14–22 | Lab | 63 | Anecic | Leaf | 17.3 | 1 | [23] | |||
14–22 | Lab | 63 | Anecic | Leaf | 17.3 | 1.91 | |||||
14–22 | Lab | 63 | Anecic | Leaf | 17.3 | 2.37 | |||||
Amazonas, Brazil | 24–31 | Lab | 97 | Endogeic | Leaf | 27 | 0.95 | [24] | |||
Lab | 97 | Endogeic | Leaf | 32 | 1.03 | ||||||
Lab | 97 | Endogeic | Leaf | 34 | 1.07 | ||||||
Lab | 97 | Endogeic | Leaf | 42 | 1.04 | ||||||
Lab | 97 | Endogeic | Leaf | 27 | 0.78 | ||||||
Lab | 97 | Endogeic | Leaf | 32 | 0.89 | ||||||
Lab | 97 | Endogeic | Leaf | 34 | 1.00 | ||||||
Lab | 97 | Endogeic | Leaf | 42 | 0.98 | ||||||
Tyrol, Austria | 15 - 20 | Lab | 84 | Endogeic | Leaf | 34.7 | 0.96 | [25] | |||
Lab | 84 | Epigeic | Leaf | 34.7 | 1.00 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Epigeic | Leaf | 34.7 | 1.43 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Mixture | Leaf | 34.7 | 1.02 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Mixture | Leaf | 34.7 | 1.09 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Epigeic | Leaf | 34.7 | 1.12 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Epigeic | Leaf | 34.7 | 1.32 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Endogeic | Leaf | 34.7 | 1.11 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Endogeic | Leaf | 27.2 | 0.95 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Epigeic | Leaf | 27.2 | 1.04 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Epigeic | Leaf | 27.2 | 1.97 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Mixture | Leaf | 27.2 | 1.02 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Mixture | Leaf | 27.2 | 1.31 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Epigeic | Leaf | 27.2 | 1.25 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Epigeic | Leaf | 27.2 | 2.05 | ||||||
Lab | 84 | Endogeic | Leaf | 27.2 | 1.56 | ||||||
Wisconsin, USA | Forest | Field | 123 | Anecic | Leaf | 4.62 | [26] | ||||
Minnesota, USA | Temperate deciduous forest | 18 | Lab | 42 | Anecic | Leaf | 1.50 | [27] | |||
18 | Lab | 42 | Epigeic | Leaf | 2.35 | ||||||
18 | Lab | 42 | Mixture | Leaf | 2.80 | ||||||
Field | 82 | Anecic | Leaf | 1.06 | |||||||
Field | 82 | Epigeic | Leaf | 1.47 | |||||||
Field | 82 | Mixture | Leaf | 1.37 | |||||||
Tyrol, Austria | 15 | Lab | 28 | Epigeic | Leaf | 1.07 | [28] | ||||
15 | Lab | 28 | Epigeic | Leaf | 1.11 | ||||||
15 | Lab | 28 | Epigeic | Leaf | 1.17 | ||||||
15 | Lab | 28 | Epigeic | Leaf | 1.21 | ||||||
Bechstedt, Germany | 15–20 | Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 2.12 | [29] | ||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 2.68 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 3.15 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 3.26 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 2.67 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 4.00 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 13.28 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 6.28 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 1.34 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 1.06 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 35.85 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 2.15 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 5.95 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 1.33 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 2.18 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 4.72 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 9.63 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 1.16 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 1.20 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 1.56 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 1.80 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 3.34 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 11.36 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 6.97 | |||||||
Lab | 56 | Anecic | Leaf | 12.36 | |||||||
Puerto Rico, USA | Lab | 22 | Mixture | Leaf | 2.10 | [30] | |||||
Hampshire, UK | Short rotation forestry | 11.2 | 630 | Field | 365 | Mixture | Leaf | 32.5 | 2.26 | [31] | |
Field | 365 | Mixture | Leaf | 39.5 | 1.51 | ||||||
Carlshead, UK | Short rotation forestry | 9 | 1000 | Field | 365 | Mixture | Leaf | 39.5 | 5 | 5.28 | [6] |
Field | 365 | Mixture | Leaf | 52 | 5 | 8.15 | |||||
Field | 365 | Mixture | Leaf | 33 | 5 | 12.44 | |||||
Field | 365 | Mixture | Leaf | 32.5 | 5 | 10.41 | |||||
Field | 261 | Mixture | Leaf | 18.2 | 5 | 17.56 | |||||
Kaserstattalm, Austria | 9–17 | Lab | 120 | Epigeic | Leaf | 1.35 | [32] | ||||
Lab | 120 | Epigeic | Leaf | 1.07 | |||||||
Lab | 120 | Epigeic | Leaf | 2.50 | |||||||
Gottingen, Germany | 18 | Lab | 90 | Epigeic | Leaf | 1.24 | [33] |
Table 3.
Location, earthworm density, and forest floormass thickness and carbon stock in forests worldwide for curve estimation.
Location | Earthworm density (no./m2) | Forest floormass |
References | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Thickness (cm) | Carbon stock (g/m2) | |||
Minnesota, USA | 592.00 | 0.60 | [34] | |
Minnesota, USA | 821.47 | 1.14 | [35] | |
Ontario, Canada | 99.50 | 2.70 | [36] | |
Alberta, Canada | 622.72 | 4.19 | [37] | |
181.59 | 3.66 | |||
108.14 | 3.57 | |||
136.42 | 3.49 | |||
162.75 | 2.64 | |||
214.18 | 1.01 | |||
196.08 | 0.97 | |||
623.02 | 0.20 | |||
458.67 | 0.12 | |||
661.73 | 0.04 | |||
Maryland, USA | 212.00 | 1.00 | 116.00 | [38] |
Maryland, USA | 38.00 | 6.25 | [39] | |
Michigan, USA | 9.10 | 895.60 | [40] | |
247.80 | 316.20 | |||
New York State, USA | 106.30 | 211.20 | [41] | |
76.83 | 70.40 | |||
New York State, USA | 150.00 | 196.34 | [42] | |
89.20 | 295.39 | |||
Puerto Rico, USA | 32.67 | 785.10 | [43] | |
56.00 | 406.40 | |||
8.76 | 563.90 | |||
Jilin, China | 780 | 1.0 | [44] | |
336 | 2.5 | |||
153 | 2.0 | |||
52 | 1.5 | |||
Yunan, China | 28.5 | 1.5 | [45] | |
12.35 | 0.5 | |||
7.5 | 1 |
Table 4.
Location, earthworm density, and mineral soil carbon concentration in 12 sites of crop fields, pasture, and forests worldwide used for curve estimation.
Location | Ecosystems | Earthworm density (no./m2) | Soil depth (cm) | Soil organic C concentration (%) | Earthworm functional group | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ohio, USA | Crop | |||||
Corn-soybean | 17.9 | 0–10 | 16.1 | Mixture | [46] | |
10–20 | 12.4 | |||||
20–30 | 12.3 | |||||
30–40 | 8.8 | |||||
Jiangsu, China | Rice–wheat | 30 | 0–20 | 8.04 | Anecic | [47] |
9.09 | ||||||
Timiş, Romania | Wheat-soybean-maize-barley | 9.33 | 2.26 | [48] | ||
14.76 | 2.16 | |||||
9.33 | 2.16 | |||||
13.33 | 2.10 | |||||
26.67 | 2.53 | |||||
Tennessee, USA | Rotation | 0–15 | [49] | |||
Corn -soybean |
46.05 | 1.2 | Mixture | |||
Continuous Soybean | 52.85 | 1.4 | Mixture | |||
Continuous Corn | 40.5 | 1.0 | Mixture | |||
Bio-cover | ||||||
Fallow | 45.8 | 1.1 | Mixture | |||
Hair vetch | 75.5 | 1.1 | Mixture | |||
Poultry litter | 27.35 | 1.3 | Mixture | |||
Wheat | 36.75 | 1.1 | Mixture | |||
Hawaii, USA | Eucalypt | 12 | 0–25 | 7.55 | Endogeic | [50] |
151 | 8.52 | Endogeic | ||||
154 | 8.80 | Endogeic | ||||
398 | 9.86 | Endogeic | ||||
Eifel, Germany | Four crop rotation (rape, winter wheat, winter barley, and spring barley) | 119.3 | 0–10 | 1.56 | Mixture | [51] |
10–20 | 1.52 | |||||
20–30 | 0.87 | |||||
113.3 | 0–10 | 1.79 | Mixture | |||
10–20 | 1.22 | |||||
20–30 | 0.75 | |||||
160 | 0–10 | 1.94 | Mixture | |||
10–20 | 1.23 | |||||
20–30 | 0.74 | |||||
132.7 | 0–10 | 1.71 | Mixture | |||
10–20 | 1.14 | |||||
20–30 | 0.68 | |||||
157.3 | 0–10 | 1.75 | Mixture | |||
10–20 | 1.15 | |||||
20–30 | 0.67 | |||||
Karnataka, India | Agricultural fields (rice, nuts, and banana) | 485.14 | 0–30 | 4.94 | Mixture | [52] |
KwaZuluNatal midlands, South Africa | Ryegrass | 158.82 | 0–10 | 3.74 | Mixture | [53] |
Maize | 49.27 | 3.12 | Mixture | |||
Sugarcane | 25.74 | 2.56 | Epigeic | |||
Ryegrass | 76.53 | 3.21 | Mixture | |||
Maize | 45.79 | 2.68 | Mixture | |||
Sugarcane | 164.69 | 3.06 | Epigeic | |||
Victoria, Australia | Crop | 21.00 | 0–7.5 | 0.93 | [54] | |
46.00 | 0.94 | |||||
50.00 | 0.96 | |||||
Pasture | ||||||
New Zealand | 637 | 0–5 | 3.98 | Mixture | [55] | |
5–10 | 4.10 | |||||
10–18 | 3.30 | |||||
18–26 | 3.20 | |||||
KwaZuluNatal midlands, South Africa | Kikuyu grass | 236.03 | 0–10 | 7.58 | Mixture | [53] |
Native grassland | 6.08 | 5.79 | ||||
Kikuyu grass | 303.34 | 8.07 | Mixture | |||
Forest | ||||||
New York, USA | Forest | 106 | 0–5 | 5.75 | Mixture | [39,40] |
5–10 | 2.63 | |||||
10–15 | 1.65 | |||||
15–20 | 1.43 | |||||
76 | 0–5 | 6.97 | Mixture | |||
5–10 | 4.12 | |||||
10–15 | 1.93 | |||||
15–20 | 1.71 | |||||
Honduras Karnataka, India |
Forest | 37.89 | 0–15 | 3.59 | Endogeic | [56] |
Forest | 561.06 | 0–30 | 5.24 | Mixture | [52] | |
KwaZuluNatal midlands, South Africa | Gum forest | 60.29 | 0–10 | 3.53 | Endogeic | [53] |
Pine forest | 18.38 | 4.45 | Mixture | |||
Gum forest | 60.97 | 5.62 | Endogeic | |||
Pine forest | 19.91 | 5.51 | Mixture | |||
Hawaii, USA | Eucalypt | 173 | 0–25 | 8.90 | Mixture | [50] |
147 | 9.43 | Mixture |
Table 5.
The location, biome, MAT, MAP, experimental type, earthworm functional group, earthworm number, soil depth, soil C/N and soil aggregate size for observations about the effects of earthworm on soil organic carbon levels in the meta-analysis.
Location | Ecosystems | MAT (oC) | MAP (mm) | Experimental type | Earthworm functional group | Soil depth (cm) | Experimental period | Soil C/N | Soil aggregate size | Effect size of soil organic carbon | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York, USA | Forest | 900 | Field | Mixture | 0 - 5 | 730 | 13.3 | 0.62 | [41] | ||
Mixture | 5 - 10 | 730 | 11.6 | 0.81 | |||||||
Mixture | 10 - 15 | 730 | 10.1 | 0.62 | |||||||
Mixture | 15 - 20 | 730 | 10.0 | 0.65 | |||||||
Mixture | 0 - 5 | 730 | 0.75 | ||||||||
Mixture | 5 - 10 | 730 | 1.27 | ||||||||
Mixture | 10 - 15 | 730 | 0.72 | ||||||||
Mixture | 15 - 20 | 730 | 0.78 | ||||||||
New York, USA | Forest | 900 | Field | Mixture | 0 - 5 | 730 | 0.86 | [57] | |||
Mixture | 5 - 10 | 730 | 1.10 | ||||||||
Mixture | 10 - 15 | 730 | 0.62 | ||||||||
Mixture | 15 - 20 | 730 | 0.72 | ||||||||
New Zealand | Pasture | 12.2 | 1050 | Field | Anecic | 0 - 5 | 10950 | 0.82 | [55] | ||
5 - 10 | 10950 | 0.75 | |||||||||
10 - 18 | 10950 | 0.58 | |||||||||
18 - 26 | 10950 | 0.82 | |||||||||
0 - 5 | 7300 | 0.98 | |||||||||
5 - 10 | 7300 | 1.06 | |||||||||
10 - 18 | 7300 | 1.05 | |||||||||
18 - 26 | 7300 | 1.24 | |||||||||
New York, USA | Sugar maple | 980 | Field | 0 - 3 | 18.73 | 1.34 | [42] | ||||
3 - 6 | 17.53 | 1.14 | |||||||||
6 - 9 | 16.80 | 1.08 | |||||||||
9 - 12 | 15.84 | 0.96 | |||||||||
0 - 3 | 13.59 | 1.17 | |||||||||
3 - 6 | 11.83 | 0.99 | |||||||||
6 - 9 | 11.59 | 1.05 | |||||||||
9 - 12 | 11.18 | 0.95 | |||||||||
Cumbria, UK | 15 | Lab | 0 - 8 | 110 | 1.06 | [58] | |||||
Tennessee, USA | 20 | Lab | Endogeic | 26 | >250 | 2.05 | [59] | ||||
Endogeic | 26 | 53–250 | 0.78 | ||||||||
Endogeic | 26 | <53 | 1.30 | ||||||||
Epigeic | 26 | >250 | 3.60 | ||||||||
Epigeic | 26 | 53–250 | 0.96 | ||||||||
Epigeic | 26 | <53 | 1.13 | ||||||||
Ohio, USA | Corn-soybean | Field | Mixture | 0 - 10 | 1075 | 1.11 | [46] | ||||
Mixture | 10 - 20 | 1075 | 1.19 | ||||||||
Mixture | 20 - 30 | 1075 | 1.01 | ||||||||
Mixture | 30 - 40 | 1075 | 1.02 | ||||||||
Jiangsu, China | Rice–wheat | 16 | 1106 | Field | Anecic | 0 - 20 | 2555 | 8.30 | 1.02 | [47] | |
2555 | 1.02 | ||||||||||
Quebec, Canada | Hardwood forest | 6.2 | 1058 | Field | 0–10 | 14.00 | 1.56 | [60] | |||
10–20 | 13.30 | 1.50 | |||||||||
Xishuangbanna , China |
Rubber plantation | 21.8 | 1493 | Field | Endogeic | 0–5 | 600 | 11.80 | 0.94 | [61] | |
5–15 | 600 | 11.80 | 1.05 | ||||||||
0–5 | 600 | 11.80 | 0.72 | ||||||||
5–15 | 600 | 11.80 | 1.45 | ||||||||
Congo, Brail | Savanna | Endogeic | 0–10 | 0.67 | [62] | ||||||
10–20 | 1.31 | ||||||||||
20–30 | 1.00 | ||||||||||
Georgia, USA | Lab | Endogeic | 20 | >2000 | 3.42 | [63] | |||||
20 | 250–2000 | 0.52 | |||||||||
Georgia, USA | Lab | Endogeic | 20 | >2000 | 3.12 | [64] | |||||
20 | 250–2000 | 0.78 | |||||||||
20 | 53–250 | 0.71 | |||||||||
20 | <53 | 0.61 | |||||||||
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA | 18 | Lab | Epigeic | 23 | 0.92 | [65] | |||||
23 | 0.89 | ||||||||||
23 | >2000 | 10.25 | |||||||||
23 | >2000 | 5.32 | |||||||||
23 | 250–2000 | 0.59 | |||||||||
23 | 250–2000 | 0.80 | |||||||||
23 | 53–250 | 0.08 | |||||||||
23 | 53–250 | 0.66 | |||||||||
Trier, Germany | 15 | Lab | Mixture | 42 | 14.88 | 1.01 | [66] | ||||
42 | 14.31 | 1.06 | |||||||||
42 | 15.25 | 0.99 | |||||||||
42 | 15.25 | 1.03 | |||||||||
Georgia, USA | Lab | Endogeic | 0–3.5 | 37 | 1.03 | [67] | |||||
Epigeic | 3.5–7 | 37 | 1.09 | ||||||||
Endogeic | 0–3.5 | 37 | 0.98 | ||||||||
Epigeic | 3.5–7 | 37 | 1.08 | ||||||||
Alberta, Canada | Lab | Epigeic | 1–4 | 28 | 1.03 | [68] | |||||
1–4 | 56 | 0.89 | |||||||||
1–4 | 84 | 0.96 | |||||||||
1–4 | 28 | 0.73 | |||||||||
1–4 | 56 | 0.89 | |||||||||
1–4 | 84 | 0.70 | |||||||||
4–7 | 28 | 0.94 | |||||||||
4–7 | 56 | 0.90 | |||||||||
4–7 | 84 | 1.00 | |||||||||
4–7 | 28 | 0.79 | |||||||||
4–7 | 56 | 1.00 | |||||||||
4–7 | 84 | 0.68 | |||||||||
>7 | 28 | 1.16 | |||||||||
>7 | 56 | 1.29 | |||||||||
>7 | 84 | 1.04 | |||||||||
>7 | 28 | 1.60 | |||||||||
>7 | 56 | 1.23 | |||||||||
>7 | 84 | 1.94 | |||||||||
Jilin, China | 18 | Lab | 0–2.5 | 30 | 0.95 | [69] | |||||
0–2.5 | 30 | 1.12 | |||||||||
0–2.5 | 30 | 0.94 | |||||||||
0–2.5 | 30 | 1.18 | |||||||||
2.5–5 | 30 | 1.03 | |||||||||
2.5–5 | 30 | 0.77 | |||||||||
2.5–5 | 30 | 0.95 | |||||||||
2.5–5 | 30 | 1.14 | |||||||||
Hubei, China | 25±2 | Lab | Anecic | 40 | 0.96 | [70] | |||||
40 | 0.77 | ||||||||||
40 | <250 | 1.10 | |||||||||
40 | 250–1000 | 0.79 | |||||||||
40 | 1000–2000 | 1.21 | |||||||||
40 | >2000 | 1.19 | |||||||||
Jinlin, China | 20 | Lab | compost | 18 | 13.04 | 1.04 | [71] | ||||
18 | 13.04 | 1.15 | |||||||||
18 | 13.04 | 1.04 | |||||||||
35 | 14.09 | 1.12 | |||||||||
35 | 14.09 | 1.10 | |||||||||
35 | 14.09 | 1.08 | |||||||||
Puerto Rico, USA | Lab | Anecic | 22 | 0.98 | [30] | ||||||
Endogeic | 22 | 1.01 | |||||||||
Endogeic | 22 | 0.94 | |||||||||
Mixture | 22 | 0.99 | |||||||||
Mixture | 22 | 0.97 | |||||||||
Mixture | 22 | 0.97 | |||||||||
Mixture | 22 | 0.97 | |||||||||
Hanoi, Vietnam | 15–25 | Lab | Endogeic | 365 | 1.02 | [72] | |||||
Endogeic | 365 | 0.82 | |||||||||
Endogeic | 365 | 0.81 |
2. Experimental design, materials, and methods
A data set was compiled using literature search of peer-reviewed publications about the effects of earthworms on litter decomposition or SOC from the ISI-Web of Science and Google Scholar research database. We used three different combinations of keywords: earthworm and litter decomposition; earthworm and forest floor; earthworm and soil carbon. A total of 69 studies published between 1985 and 2018 were found (Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, Table 4, Table 5). An Engauge Digitizer (Free Software Foundation, Inc., Boston, MA, United States of America) was used to extract numerical values from figures in selected articles in which data were graphically presented.
For Table 1, we included studies that reported earthworm density and litter decomposition/decay rate; 40 observations from 13 studies were found. For Table 3, we included studies that reported earthworm density and forest floor thickness or carbon stock; 32 observations from 12 studies were found. For Table 4, we included studies that reported earthworm density and soil carbon content (%, g C/kg soil or mg C/g soil); 70 observations from 12 studies were found. For Table 1, Table 3, Table 4, we included studies that reflected earthworm density under field conditions (i.e. earthworms were not reduced or added), and plant litter from the vegetation currently under the experimental sites so that these observations can reflect the balance between earthworm density and turnover of plant litter, SOC under field conditions.
To be included in the meta-analysis, the paper had to report the means, standard deviation (SDs) and replicate numbers of litter percent mass loss or SOC for the control treatment (C, with no earthworms or reduced earthworm number) and the experimental treatment (E, with earthworms or earthworm number do not reduce). For studies that did not report SD or standard error (SE), we conservatively estimated SD values as 150% of the average variance across the dataset [2]. To evaluate the significance of the earthworm-induced effect on litter decomposition, 113 observations from 20 studies were found (Table 2). For the magnitude of the earthworm-induced effect on SOC content, 120 observations from 22 studies were found (Table 5). Because most of the studies do not report soil bulk density, we therefore converted SOC stocks with known bulk density (20 observations) to SOC concentrations. Besides earthworm functional groups, other details of experimental conditions were also specified in our analyses. We included studies that reported climate, vegetation types (naturally-grown forest, plantation, pastureland and crop), litter quality (litter C/N ratio and leaf versus root litter), litterbag mesh size, time length of experiment, soil depth, soil aggregate size, soil C/N ratio and experimental types (field versus laboratory). These parameters were the controlling factors that we considered for the earthworm effect on litter decay and SOC. The magnitude of the earthworm-induced effect on litter decay and SOC were calculated as the response ratio (R), R = E/C, where E and C are the means of experimental and control treatments, respectively.
Acknowledgments
This work was financially supported by a cooperative agreement between the USDA-Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry and the University of Puerto Rico [14-JV-11120101-018, 2015]. Grizelle González was supported by the Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory [EAR-1331841] and the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Site [DEB-1239764].
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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