Publication details
The enchytraeid assemblage (Annelida: Clitellata: Enchytraeidae) of a Sandhill prairie site in Nebraska, USA
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Soil Organisms |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.senckenberg.de/root/index.php?page_id=16647 |
| Field | Ecology |
| Keywords | Enchytraeidae; community structure; grassland; North America; soil fauna |
| Description | Hitherto the enchytraeid fauna of North American prairie and other types of grassland remains unknown. In March 2011 soil samples were taken in a Sandhill prairie habitat used as rangeland, close to Grand Island, Nebraska. Enchytraeids were extracted by the wet funnel method and identified alive. The total enchytraeid density was 3400 +/- 800 individuals/m2 (+/- SE); 70 % of the individuals were present in the upper 3 cm of soil (sampling depth: 12 cm). The assemblage consisted of at least six species, the identity of four could be ascertained. Bryodrilus librus (Nielsen & Christensen, 1959) was predominant, followed by Fridericia bulboides Nielsen & Christensen, 1959. For B. librus this is the southern-most reported locality within its known range. Also present was Enchytraeus dichaetus Schmelz & Collado, 2010, the occurrence of which in North America had been published once before from Canada without any details on its locality. The rather poor assemblage might be the result of a harsh climate and drought-sensitive sandy soil. |