SiWorm (2021-2023)

Description :

Soil bioturbation relies in the movement of soil and the production of soil aggregates (casts, nests…) by soil animals with specific physical and chemical properties. The objective of SiWorm is to test if the activity of soil engineers (mainly earthworms) influence of mobility of Si and its diffusion from the soil to the aquatic environment.

• Is the bioturbation activity by earthworms (ie the production of castings on the soil surface) associated with a modification of the status of Si (associated with OM or minerals in the form of dissolved Si, DSi, or particulate, PSi) and / or dependent on plant cover and climate? – Is bioturbation activity by earthworms associated with an exportation of Si at the plot level?

• Is bioturbation activity by earthworms associated with an exportation of Si at the plot level?

This project will be carried out in Dong Cao watershed in northern Vietnam (M-Tropics observatory labeled by INSU and included in OZCAR, the French contribution to the international critical zone initiative, https: //mtropics-fr.obs-mip.fr/), in collaboration with researchers from the Soils and Fertilizer Research Institute (https://en.sfri.org.vn/). Exploratory tests will also be carried out at the Chrey Bak observatory in Cambodia, in partnership with researchers from the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (http://www.itc.edu.kh/).