%0 Research Notes
%T Long-term establishment of earthworm populations in grassland on reclaimed industrial cutaway peatland in Ireland
%A Curry, James
%A Schmidt, Olaf
%D 2006
%J Suo - Mires and peat
%V 57
%N 3
%U http://suo.fi/article/9849
%X Earthworm populations in reclaimed cutaway peatland soils in central Ireland were sampled 20-30 years after reclamation and establishment of grass-clover leys following industrial peat mining. Nine earthworm species in total were present, with 4-7 species per field in the six fields sampled. Population densities were 130-506 individuals m-2, and biomass ranged from 80 to 279 g m-2. Thus, under favourable conditions reclaimed cutaway peat soils can support earthworm populations comparable in density and biomass to those typical of the most fertile mineral soils. However, species richness tended to be lower than in comparable grasslands on mineral soils, and reclaimed peat appears to be unfavourable for larger deep-burrowing species such as Lumbricus friendi and Lumbricus terrestris.