[Dynamics of the biological activity of litter in course of its transformation by earthworms]
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Updated: Oct 7, 2026

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Published on: March 12, 2013
I N Bezkorovaĭnaia1, L A Klimentenok, S Iu Efvgrafova
1Sukachev Institute of Forestry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk, 660036 Russia.
Abstract:
The dynamics of the biological activity of litter during its transformation were studied under laboratory conditions. The model group of soil saprophages was represented by earthworms (Eisenia genus). The system "litter-droppings-litter + droppings-soil" was investigated. The feeding activity of earthworms intensified biological processes in the decomposing plant residues. A fraction of readily hydrolyzable nitrogen was accumulated in the worm droppings. Dressing the litter with droppings shifted transformation of the plant materials towards mineralization.
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