Reduced greenhouse gas mitigation potential of no-tillage soils through earthworm activity.
Concerns about rising greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations have spurred the promotion of no-tillage practices as a means to stimulate carbon storage and reduce CO2 emissions in agro-ecosystems. Recent research has ignited debate about the effect of earthworms on the GHG balance of soil. It is unclear how earthworms interact with soil management practices, making long-term predictions on their effect in agro-ecosystems problematic. Here we show, in a unique two-year experiment, that earthworm presence increases the combined cumulative emissions of CO2 and N2O from a simulated no-tillage (NT) system to the same level as a simulated conventional tillage (CT) system. We found no evidence for increased soil C storage in the presence of earthworms. Because NT agriculture stimulates earthworm presence, our results identify a possible biological pathway for the limited potential of no-tillage soils with respect to GHG mitigation.
Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, PO BOX 47, 6700AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Ingrid M
IM
Lubbers
Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA.
Kees Jan
KJ
van Groenigen
Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, PO BOX 47, 6700AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Lijbert
L
Brussaard
Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, PO BOX 47, 6700AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Jan Willem
JW
van Groenigen
D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017752:Greenhouse Effect / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000502:physiology*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002245:Carbon Dioxide