03615naa a2200145 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000160006024501190007626000090019552029130020470000160311770000150313377303210314813150492008-10-06       2008    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d1 aRÖMBKE, J.  aAbundance and biomass of peregrine earthworms in soils of different land use forms of the Southern Mata Atlantica.  c2008  aThe abundance, biomass and diversity of several species of peregrine earthworms belonging to different families (Glossoscolecidae, Megascolecidae, Ocnerodrilidae) were sampled in secondary forests, pastures and agroforestry systems in the southern Brazilian Mata Atlântica (in total: 51 sites) between 2003 and 2008. Each site was sampled once, using partly a combination of hand-sorting and formol extraction, partly only hand-sorting (ISO 2006). At each site five quadrates (50 * 50 cm) were dug out to a depth of 10 - 20 cm before a 0.5% aqueous formol solution was poured into each hole. All worms were stored in 70% ethanol before counted, weighed and determined to the species level. The study sites are situated in the coastal area of the Serra do Mar near the town of Antonina, within and adjacent to the Protection Area (EPA) of Guaraqueçaba. Among the diverse soil types occurring in the region, Podzols, Cambisols and Gleysols are abundant. We studied secondary forests of four different age stages in two different forest formations (Restinga, sub-mountain forest), two different agroforestry systems and pastures. The investigation is part of the German-Brazilian co-operative project SOLOBIOMA (www.solobioma.ufpr.br). Objective of this study was to clarify whether different forest formations and regeneration stages of secondary forest show characteristic earthworm assemblages and which site properties (e.g. vegetation type, soil type, land use history) determine their structure (abundance, biomass and diversity). Species diversity of the earthworms was generally low and did not differ between the sites. Only five species, all peregrine, are regularly found. At almost all sites Pontoscolex corethrurus strongly dominated the samples. Very moist sites, e.g. close to small creeks, showed higher proportions of Amynthas (2 species) or Ocnerodrilus occidentalis. Abundance and biomass of earthworms varied a lot within and between sites. No worms were found in the sandy soil of a very young forest close to the beach, while up to 300 ind m-2 occurred in some pastures as well as in agroforestry sites. These results indicate that the whole region has already been altered by man. Obviously all endemic earthworm species have been replaced by peregrine invasive species, originating from Northern South America (i.e. P. corethrurus) or South-Eastern Asia (Amynthas spp.). The often very high abundance and, in particular, biomass (by far the biggest part of the whole soil invertebrate community) underlines their important role for the provision of ecological services. However, in detail the contribution of these worms to processes like, for example, organic matter decomposition, are far from understood. ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) 2006. Soil quality - Sampling of soil invertebrates Part 1: Hand-sorting and formalin extraction of earthworms. ISO 23611-1.1 aSCHMIDT, P.1 aHÖFER, H.  tIn: INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON SOIL ZOOLOGY, 15; INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON APTERYGOTA, 12., 2008, Curitiba. Biodiversity, conservation and sustainabele management of soil animal: abstracts. Colombo: Embrapa Florestas. Editors: George Gardner Brown; Klaus Dieter Sautter; Renato Marques; Amarildo Pasini. 1 CD-ROM.