scholarly journals Biparental transmission of Verminephrobacter symbionts in the earthworm Aporrectodea tuberculata (Lumbricidae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura-Carlota Paz ◽  
Andreas Schramm ◽  
Marie Braad Lund
Keyword(s):  
Aporrectodea Tuberculata

Composition of the soil fauna in forested and grassy plots at Delhi, Ontario

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (12) ◽  
pp. 3048-3055 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Tomlin ◽  
J. J. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Soil Horizon ◽  
Soil Invertebrate ◽  
Soil Cores ◽  
Litter Layer ◽  
Invertebrate Fauna ◽  
Dendrobaena Octaedra ◽  
Aporrectodea Tuberculata

There were several differences between invertebrate fauna collected from 15 cm deep cores taken from previously cultivated soil (now in grass) and fauna of a similar Fox loamy sand series in a nearby woodlot at Delhi, Ontario (42°51′ N, 80°30′W). Soil invertebrate populations in the grassy field were less dense (931 × 103 vs. 1853 × 103 animals/m2) and less diverse, had less than half of the biomass (1.2 vs. 2.9 g dry wt./m2), and exhibited little significant decrease in invertebrate densities with increasing soil depth compared with woodlot soil cores; woodlot soils exhibited significant decreases in invertebrate densities with increasing soil depth. The litter layer (LFH) of the woodlot provided the highest invertebrate densities and biomasses of any soil horizon tested over the 5-month sampling period. Percent abundances at both sites for most taxa were relatively similar; nematodes, protozoans, and mites were most abundant and earthworms, least abundant. The category "other arthropods" (including hexapods, myriapods, and araneids) was the largest contributor at both sites when taxa were ranked according to biomass. Earthworms were virtually nonexistent in the grassy field and were represented by only two species, Dendrobaena octaedra (Savigny) (which was dominant in both abundance and biomass) and Aporrectodea tuberculata (Eisen), in woodlot soil. Woodlot faunal densities and biomasses for most taxa were similar to comparable Eurasian sites of similar climate and vegetation.

Genetic Structure of Populations of the Earthworm Aporrectodea tuberculata

Oikos ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Stille ◽  
Howard Ochman ◽  
Robert K. Selander
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Genetic Structure Of Populations ◽  
Aporrectodea Tuberculata

scholarly journals Beneficial Effect of Verminephrobacter Nephridial Symbionts on the Fitness of the Earthworm Aporrectodea tuberculata

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (14) ◽  
pp. 4738-4743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie B. Lund ◽  
Martin Holmstrup ◽  
Bente A. Lomstein ◽  
Christian Damgaard ◽  
Andreas Schramm
Keyword(s):  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Amino Acid Content ◽  
Nitrogen Retention ◽  
Cow Dung ◽  
Nitrogen Recycling ◽  
Aporrectodea Tuberculata ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Excretory Organs

ABSTRACT Almost all lumbricid earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) harbor species-specific Verminephrobacter (Betaproteobacteria) symbionts in their nephridia (excretory organs). The function of the symbiosis, and whether the symbionts have a beneficial effect on their earthworm host, is unknown; however, the symbionts have been hypothesized to enhance nitrogen retention in earthworms. The effect of Verminephrobacter on the life history traits of the earthworm Aporrectodea tuberculata (Eisen) was investigated by comparing the growth, development, and fecundity of worms with and without symbionts given high (cow dung)- and low (straw)-nutrient diets. There were no differences in worm growth or the number of cocoons produced by symbiotic and aposymbiotic worms. Worms with Verminephrobacter symbionts reached sexual maturity earlier and had higher cocoon hatching success than worms cured of their symbionts when grown on the low-nutrient diet. Thus, Verminephrobacter nephridial symbionts do have a beneficial effect on their earthworm host. Cocoons with and without symbionts did not significantly differ in total organic carbon, total nitrogen, or total hydrolyzable amino acid content, which strongly questions the hypothesized role of the symbionts in nitrogen recycling for the host.

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