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Earthworms of Doodhpathri (Budgam), Jammu and Kashmir, India

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Author Affiliations

  • 1PG Department of Environmental Sciences, S.P College, Kashmir (J&K), India-190001
  • 2PG Department of Environmental Sciences, S.P College, Kashmir (J&K), India-190001

Int. Res. J. Environment Sci., Volume 5, Issue (12), Pages 33-39, December,22 (2016)

Abstract

The study reports the diversity and seasonal population dynamics of earthworms of Doodhpathri (Budgam), based on the data collected from five different sites. A total of three earthworm species-Aporrrectodearosearosea, Aporrrectodeacaliginosa trapezoids and Octalasioncyaneum belong to family lumbricidae were recorded. Out of the three species O. cyaneum exhibited restricted distribution whereas A. r. rosea and A. C. trapezoides were present at majority of the sites. The density and biomass exhibited significant variation (F4 = 6.66; 37.77, P < 0.05) within the sites and among (F3 = 4.77; 15.08, P < 0.05) the seasons with higher values recorded during autumn and spring. Diversity indices- Margalef species richness (0.150-0.679), Simpson’s index (0.370-0.600), Shannon diversity index (0.556-1.102) and evenness (0.872-1.033) also exhibited varied values among the sites with maximum value at site-III. Organic nitrogen showed significant variation within the sites (F4 = 5.43, P < 0.05) and among the seasons (F3 = 6.27, P < 0.05), within the sites in moisture (F4 = 3.39, P < 0.05) and electrical conductivity (F4 = 17.89, P < 0.05) whereas among the seasons in temperature (F3 = 22.88, P < 0.05) and organic carbon (F3 = 10.12, P < 0.05). Organic carbon, organic nitrogen along with moisture favors the diversity of earthworms whereas the temperature affects the overall population dynamics.

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