A preliminary study of the effects of long-term potato monoculture on earthworm community

Earthworms are widely recognized as ecosystem engineers because their activities significantly modify soil properties and ecosystem functioning. Earthworm community composition is primarily determined by soil characteristics, land use, and climate. In agro-ecosystems, earthworm populations are strongly affected by management practices, particularly tillage intensity, crop rotation schemes, and the application of various agrochemicals. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of intensive potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivation on earthworm community structure and diversity. Earthworm samples were collected by hand-sorting from long-term potato monoculture farms subjected to ploughing and the application of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers, as well as semi-natural, non-agricultural habitats used as reference sites. A total of eight anecic, epigeic, and endogeic earthworm species belonging to the family Lumbricidae were identified in the semi-natural habitats, namely Aporrectodea caliginosa, A. longa, A. trapezoides, Dendrobaena hortensis, D. pentheri, D. semitica, Eisenia andrei, and Perelia kaznakovi. In contrast, only a single anecic species (A. longa) was recorded in potato fields. These results indicate that intensive agricultural activities have adversely affected the earthworm community in potato fields, leading to species loss by eliminating epigeic and endogeic earthworms.

کلیدواژه ها:

Agricultural activities ، Earthworm diversity ، Lumbricidae ، Population ecology ، Solanaceae