Evidence for Atmospheric Deposition Impacts On the Enchytraeid Worm Population of Uk Upland Ombrotrophic Peats

The results of four experiments on acidification effects upon the Enchytraeid worm populations of ombrotrophic peats are reported. in the first, populations were measured in peats from Calluna vulgaris-dominated microcosms collected from along a gradient in N deposition in the UK and subjected for 18 months to simulated precipitation with a solute composition appropriate for their site of collection. There was a significant decline in Enchytraeid population along the N deposition gradient for Calluna-dominant microcosms, but when grasses took over from the Calluna, Enchytraeid numbers increased significantly. in the second experiment, two sets of peat moorland microcosms from a single site, supporting Calluna and Calluna-grass mixed vegetation, were subjected for 12 months to ambient and 2- and 6-times the ambient N deposition. Additional N was added in two forms, as ammonium sulphate and as nitric acid. the high N treatments significantly reduced the Enchytraeid populations for both vegetation types. in a third experiment, the pH preference for the Enchytraeids was assessed using interconnected tubes of peat covering the pH range 2.2-8.7. the preferred pH range after 8 months was 2.7-3.7. in the final experiment, it was found that recolonization with Enchytraeids after initial removal was more rapid under grass dominant vegetation than under Calluna dominant vegetation.