Blanchart Eric auteur aut IRD Lavelle P. auteur aut IRD Braudeau Erik auteur aut IRD Le Bissonnais Y. auteur aut IRD Valentin Christian auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access The role of endogeic earthworms in the maintenance of the structure of an African savanna soil has been investigated in a 28-month field experiment. Changes of aggregate size distribution, porosity and aggregate stability were analysed in undisturbed soil monoliths from which earthworms had been removed and which had then been submitted to four treatments : recolonization by natural savanna fauna (control, 12 replicates) ; introduction of a population of Millsonia anomala, a large earthworm (13 replicates) ; introduction of a population of small filiform eudrilid earthworms (13 replicates), and no recolonization by earthworms (12 replicates). At the end of the experiment, significant differences were observed among the four treatments. M. anomala was responsible for the formation of macroaggregates > 5.0 mm whereas eudrilid earthworms egested smaller aggregates (0.5-5 mm). The results suggest that the presence of both types of worms is necessary to maintain the natural soil structure. If one or both types of worm are excluded from the soil, the initial structure is greatly affected. (Résumé d'auteur) specialized STRUCTURE DU SOL SAVANE LOMBRIC GRANULOMETRIE MICROMORPHOLOGIE STABILITE STRUCTURALE COTE D'IVOIRE 068PROSOL 29 3/4 431-439 1997 0038-0717 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010011141 10.1016/S0038-0717(96)00042-9 0038-0717 [F B010011141] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010011141 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/pleins_textes_6/b_fdi_47-48/010011141.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 1997-10-03 2017-08-07 fdi:010011141 fre