Abstract
Abstract For the last 150 years many studies have shown the importance of earthworms for plant growth, but the exact mechanisms involved in the process are still poorly understood. Many important functions required for plant growth can be performed by soil microbes in the rhizosphere. To investigate earthworm influence on the rhizosphere microbial community, we performed a macrocosm experiment with and without Pontoscolex corethrurus (EW+ and EW−, respectively) and followed various soil and rhizosphere processes for 217 days with sugarcane. In EW+ treatments, N 2 O concentrations belowground (15 cm depth) and relative abundances of nitrous oxide genes ( nos Z) were higher in bulk soil and rhizosphere, suggesting that soil microbes were able to consume earthworm-induced N 2 O. Shotgun sequencing (total DNA) revealed that around 70 microbial functions in bulk soil and rhizosphere differed between EW+ and EW− treatments. Overall, genes indicative of biosynthetic pathways and cell proliferation processes were enriched in EW+ treatments, suggesting a positive influence of worms. In EW+ rhizosphere, functions associated with plant-microbe symbiosis were enriched relative to EW− rhizosphere. Ecological networks inferred from the datasets revealed decreased niche diversification and increased keystone functions as an earthworm-derived effect. Plant biomass was improved in EW+ and worm population proliferated.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworm treatments had higher belowground nitrous oxide concentrations in bulk soil and rhizosphere.
- Organ / stage
- rhizospheree0
- Treatment
- EW+e0
- Interactor
- Pontoscolex corethrurus
Pontoscolex corethruruse1other - Outcome
- N 2 O concentrationse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- 15 cm depthe0
- Comparator
- EW−e1
Not reportedTaxon
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In EW+ treatments, N 2 O concentrations belowground (15 cm depth) and relative abundances of nitrous oxide genes ( nos Z) were higher in bulk soil and rhizosphere”
e1“with and without Pontoscolex corethrurus (EW+ and EW−, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworm treatments had higher relative abundance of nitrous oxide genes in bulk soil and rhizosphere.
- Treatment
- EW+e0
- Interactor
- Pontoscolex corethrurusPontoscolex corethruruse1other
- Gene
- nos Ze0
- Outcome
- relative abundances of nitrous oxide genese0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- EW−e1
Not reportedTaxon
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In EW+ treatments, N 2 O concentrations belowground (15 cm depth) and relative abundances of nitrous oxide genes ( nos Z) were higher in bulk soil and rhizosphere”
e1“with and without Pontoscolex corethrurus (EW+ and EW−, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
The results suggest soil microbes consumed earthworm-induced nitrous oxide.
Verbatim
e0“suggesting that soil microbes were able to consume earthworm-induced N 2 O”
Claim · model-written summary
Around 70 microbial functions differed between earthworm-present and absent treatments.
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“around 70 microbial functions in bulk soil and rhizosphere differed between EW+ and EW− treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Genes indicative of biosynthetic pathways and cell proliferation were enriched with earthworms.
- Treatment
- EW+e0
- Outcome
- genes indicative of biosynthetic pathways and cell proliferation processese0
- Direction
- enrichede0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“genes indicative of biosynthetic pathways and cell proliferation processes were enriched in EW+ treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant-microbe symbiosis functions were enriched in earthworm-present rhizospheres.
Verbatim
e0“In EW+ rhizosphere, functions associated with plant-microbe symbiosis were enriched relative to EW− rhizosphere”
t0“sugarcane”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworms decreased niche diversification.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Ecological networks inferred from the datasets revealed decreased niche diversification and increased keystone functions as an earthworm-derived effect”
Claim · model-written summary
Earthworms increased keystone functions.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Ecological networks inferred from the datasets revealed decreased niche diversification and increased keystone functions as an earthworm-derived effect”
Claim · model-written summary
Sugarcane biomass improved with earthworms.
- Taxon
- sugarcanet0
- Treatment
- EW+e0
- Interactor
- Pontoscolex corethrurusPontoscolex corethruruse1other
- Outcome
- Plant biomasse0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Comparator
- EW−e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Plant biomass was improved in EW+ and worm population proliferated.”
t0“sugarcane”
e1“with and without Pontoscolex corethrurus (EW+ and EW−, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
The earthworm population proliferated.
- Taxon
- Pontoscolex corethrurusPontoscolex corethruruse1
- Outcome
- worm population proliferatede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Plant biomass was improved in EW+ and worm population proliferated.”
e1“with and without Pontoscolex corethrurus (EW+ and EW−, respectively)”