Anecic earthworms Lumbricus terrestris L. were kept in laboratory microcosms containing
soil and litter from a lime (Tilia cordata) and beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest. Nutrient (mineral
nitrogen and phosphorus) contents, microbial activity and densities of protozoa and
nematodes were determined in burrow walls and control soils after 165 days. Well-
developed burrow linings consisting of earthworm faeces were formed in the “Tilia”
treatment, but not in the “Fagus” treatment, presumably because beech litter was not an …