Population dynamics and respiratory metabolism of earthworm population in a sub tropical dry woodland of western Orissa, India
Mishra, PC.; Dash, MC.
Tropical Ecology 251: 103-116
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0564-3295 Document Number: 389176
Data for a tropical deciduous forest showed that Lampito mauritii was the dominant species contributing 70% of the mean monthly biomass. The maximum density recorded was about 131/msuperscript 2 during October and the minimum density was 24/msuperscript 2 in May. The monthly mean biomass ranged from 7 to 28.49 g/msuperscript 2. Secondary production amounted to 77.5 g/msuperscript 2 with a population turn-over of 4.3 times the average biomass. The total O2 consumption by the earthworm population amounted to about 34.0 L/myear. The estimated assimilation value amounted to 224.0 K cal/msuperscript 2/year.