@article{fdi:010053362,
  title = {{H}ow do earthworms influence organic matter quantity and quality in tropical soils ?},
  author = {{H}anh {N}guyen {H}ong, and {R}umpel, {C}. and {H}enry des {T}ureaux, {T}hierry and {B}ardoux, {G}. and {B}illou, {D}. and {T}oan {T}ran {D}uc, and {J}ouquet, {P}ascal},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{E}arthworms are important regulators of soil structure and soil organic matter ({SUM}) dynamics; however, quantifying their influence on {SUM} cycling in tropical ecosystems remains little studied. {S}imulated rainfall was used to disrupt casts produced by {A}mynthas khami and their surrounding soil (control) into a range of small sized aggregates (50-250, 250-500, 500-2000 and 2000-5000 mu m). {T}o gain insight into how earthworms influence {SUM} biogeochemical composition in the aggregates, we carried out elemental and stable isotope analysis, and analytical pyrolysis ({P}y {GC}/{MS}). {W}e also characterized their lignin component after oxidation with cupric oxide ({C}u{O}). {T}he {C} content of smaller size fractions (<500 mu m) in the control soil was higher than in the larger fractions. {O}ur study therefore suggests that the aggregate hierarchy concept, which is used to understand soil aggregates and {SUM} dynamics in temperate soils, may not be applicable to the tropical {A}crisol studied here. {E}arthworms modified {SUM} organization in soil aggregates. {A}lthough the isotope analyses were useful for highlighting {SUM} enrichment in the earthworm casts, aggregate fractions could not be classified according to particle size. {M}olecular analyses were necessary to indicate that {SUM} in all size fractions of casts consisted of relatively undecomposed material. {P}rotection of the most labile {SUM} structures occurred in the smallest aggregate size fraction (50-250 mu m). {P}y {GC}/{MS} showed that earthworm casts and control aggregates <2000 mu m could be clearly distinguished according to the molecular properties of their {SOM}. {A}ggregates larger than 2000 mu m, however, were most probably composed of all fractions and were not different. {A}s a consequence, our results indicate that studies to determine the impact of earthworms on {SUM} turnover in soil are spatially dependant on the scale of observation.},
  keywords = {{E}arthworms ; {SOM} ; {S}oil aggregate organization ; {P}yrolysis {GC}/{MS} ; {L}ignin},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{S}oil {B}iology and {B}iochemistry},
  volume = {43},
  numero = {2},
  pages = {223--230},
  ISSN = {0038-0717},
  year = {2011},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.09.033},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010053362},
}