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Seed ingestion by earthworms might impact seed germinationand seedling growth through two possible different mechanisms:the provision of a nutrient-rich cast substrate that benefits seedgermination, i.e., the earthworm cast, and the alteration of the seedcoat. The quality of this substrate is closely linked to the earthwormcapacity to choose the soil and litter particles that they ingest, whichtend to increase cast content in organic matter, and to its capacity tomodify soil properties, mainly through an increase in mineralization.Mineralization is then further enhanced by the stimulation ofmicrobial activity (Aira et al., 2003; Chapuis-Lardy et al., 2010; Drakeand Horn, 2007; Lavelle et al.,1995). The increased mineralization ofthe organic matter leads to a higher nutrient availability (Bityutskiiet al., 2012) and, generally, to an increased plant growth (Scheu,2003). The impact of earthworms on plant growth differs with plantspecies and with soil properties (Eisenhauer and Scheu, 2008; Laossiet al., 2009). Earthworms tend to favor the establishment of grassesover other herbaceous species (Eisenhauer and Scheu, 2008; Laossiet al., 2009). Cast properties depend on both the ingested soil typeand the earthworm species (Clause et al., 2014), and seedlings thatemerge from casts likely respond to these soil properties. Forexample, seed germination might respond to cast nitrate (NO3)content (Dong et al., 2012; see Pons,1989) and seedlings that emergein enriched-cast might benefit from this enrichment in mineral
nitrogen (see Decaëns et al., 2003).
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