Journal
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
Volume 43, Issue -, Pages S176-S183Publisher
ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejsobi.2007.08.053
Keywords
mineral weathering; earthworms; X-ray diffraction
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The role of earthworms in mineral weathering was investigated. The minerals anorthite, biotite, olivine, smectite and kaolinite were mixed with a sterilized manure substrate. Two treatments were used: minerals with earthworms and minerals without earthworms. The earthworms were established in mesocosms and left to process the substrates for 1, 2, 4 and 6 months. Four sacrificial replicates were used per time period. Changes in mineralogy were analysed using X-ray diffraction. Weathering of anorthite, biotite, smectite and kaolinite appears to be accelerated by the earthworms. There was evidence for the transformation of smectite to illite and the formation of a new mineral phase from kaolinite. Olivine appears not to be weathered by earthworms. Different minerals also appear to weather at different rates. (c) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available