Seasonal variations of number and biomass of earthworms in grassland

Abstract

There are various kinds of soil animals in surface soils of grassland. It was shown that these soil animals are related to the decomposition process of cattle dung and the turn-over of subsoils. It is said that the population density and the species composition affect the decomposition rate and the humus formation in the soil. However it is still important to investigate such soil animal activities establishing the process of material cycle in the grassland ecosystem. There is little known of such soil animals in the grassland except for soil nematodes . This paper is dealing with the population density and the species :omposition, and furthermore their seasonal variations in 1966- 1967.