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Priming effect is the change of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition due to the addition of labile carbon (C) sources. Earthworms incorporate organic matter into their burrow-linings thereby creating preferred habitats for microorganisms, but the roles of such burrows in priming effect initiation is unknown. Here we study the mechanisms driving SOM decomposition in top- and subsoil biopores and additionally in the rhizosphere. Given the topsoil was newly formed after ploughing 10 months prior to sampling, we hypothesized that (1) SOM accessibility, enzyme activities and efficiency of enzymatic reaction (K_a) are main drivers of different priming effect in biopores vs. bulk soil and rhizosphere, subsoil vs. topsoil and (2) the production of microbial enzymes in biopores depends on microbial community composition. To test these hypotheses, biopores formed by Lumbricus terrestris L. and bulk soil were sampled …