• Title of article

    A simulation model to evaluate the impacts of invasive earthworms on soil carbon dynamics

  • Author/Authors

    Huang، نويسنده , , Ching-Yu and Hendrix، نويسنده , , Paul F. and Fahey، نويسنده , , Timothy J. and Bohlen، نويسنده , , Patrick J. and Groffman، نويسنده , , Peter M.، نويسنده ,

  • Pages
    11
  • From page
    2447
  • To page
    2457
  • Abstract
    Recent studies have reported that earthworm invasions alter native communities and impact nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. We developed a simulation model to evaluate the potential impacts of earthworm invasions on carbon dynamics, taking into consideration earthworm feeding strategies and priming effects on the microorganisms through their casting activities. Responses of carbon stocks (forest litter, soil organic matter, microbial biomass and earthworm populations) and carbon fluxes (litter decomposition, earthworm consumption, and microbial respiration) were used to evaluate an earthworm invasion of a forest ecosystem. Data from a northern temperate forest (Arnot Forest, New York) were adapted for model calibration and evaluation. Simulation results suggest that the impact and outcome of earthworm invasions are affected by pre-invasion resource availability (litter and soil organic matter), invasive earthworm assemblages (particularly feeding strategy), and invasion history (associated with earthworm population dynamics). The abovementioned factors may also determine invasion progress of earthworm species. The accuracy of the model could be improved by the addition of environmental modules (e.g., soil water regimes), precise parameters accounting for individual species attributes under different environmental conditions (e.g. utilization ability of different types of food resources), as well as earthworm population dynamics (size and structure) and interactions with predators and other invasive/indigenous species during the invasion progress. Such an earthworm invasion model could provide valuable evaluation of the complicated responses of carbon dynamics to earthworm invasions in a range of forest ecosystems, particularly under global change scenarios.
  • Keywords
    carbon dynamics , Earthworm invasion , ecosystem function , Invasive species , Simulation model
  • Journal title
    Astroparticle Physics
  • Record number

    2085641