Studies on the ecological effect of Silphium perfoliatum in Bavaria
Keywords:
Silphium perfoliatum, earthworms, pollinators, insects, Octodrilus pseudolissaensioidesAbstract
The study from Bavaria showed an increase of earthworm abundance and biomass on two fields respectively five and seven years after the establishment of Silphium perfoliatum when compared to an annually farmed arable land (winter triticale, ryegrass). Nearby grasslands of the same farm showed the highest earthworm abundance and biomass. At one site the earthworm species Octodrilus pseudolissaensioides (Zicsi, 1994) was found, a species that has not been reported from Germany till now. Census of pollinators revealed many wild pollinators in addition to honeybees.
DOI: 10.1399/JfK.2016.12.11, https://doi.org/10.1399/JfK.2016.12.11