Clay-sized soil minerals are known to protect organic carbon (OC) from mineralisation by
formation of organo-mineral associations limiting its availability to microorganisms. The …

Stabilization of organic matter (OM) against decomposition and its de-stabilization leading to
mineralization, are important processes in the control of greenhouse gas emissions and …

Background Earthworms are key organisms in organic matter decomposition because of the
interactions they establish with soil microorganisms. They enhance decomposition rates …

Microbial use efficiency is thought to greatly influence organic carbon storage in soils
through the formation of decomposition products and their stabilization as organo-mineral …

Earthworms are important drivers for the formation of soil structure and play a key role in soil
organic matter (SOM) dynamics. Our previous long-term (126 weeks) laboratory experiment …

Through their feeding activities and cast production, earthworms influence both aggregate
turnover and soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics. We studied the impact of earthworm …

Earthworms are considered as “ecosystem engineers” impacting soil properties as well as
nutrient and element cycles. As they move through soil, earthworms secrete cutaneous …

This work is concerned with the effect of five earthworm species on short-term soil dynamics
through carbon (C) mineralisation and large soil aggregate characteristics (production …

By consuming plant remains and soil, earthworms incorporate organic matter (OM) into the
soil and form biogenic soil structures, which can affect OM dynamics. We carried out a …

To study the influence of soil structure on organic matter decomposition, and the possible
role of earthworms therein, aggregates of the size of earthworm casts (3–4.8 mm) were …