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Biology of Earthworms pp 39–50Cite as

Earthworms and Soil Structure

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Part of the book series: Soil Biology ((SOILBIOL,volume 24))

Abstract

Soil structure refers to the size, shape, arrangement of particles and pores in the soil. It effects many soil properties and plant growth including aeration, water holding capacity and hydraulic conductivity, drainage, resistance to erosion, root development, and water and nutrients uptake by plants. Earthworms play an important role in soils and they influence soil structure by mainly feeding, casting, and burrowing. These activities can either improve or reduce the stability of soil aggregates. In this chapter, effects of earthworms on soil structure will be discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agricultural Faculty, Soil Science Department, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, 17100, Çanakkale, Turkey

    Yasemin Kavdir & Remzi İlay

Authors
  1. Yasemin Kavdir
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  2. Remzi İlay
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yasemin Kavdir .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fac. Agriculture, Dept. Soil Science, Ankara University, Ankara, 06110, Turkey

    Ayten Karaca

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Kavdir, Y., İlay, R. (2011). Earthworms and Soil Structure. In: Karaca, A. (eds) Biology of Earthworms. Soil Biology, vol 24. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14636-7_3

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