In agrosystem field experiments, earthworm inoculation did not impede depletion of soil organic stocks in most cases, in spite of increased carbon inputs through enhanced primary production. Slight evidence of soil organic matter (SOM) protection was found in poorly structured soil, such as a yam plot in Ivory Coast (soil sieved before experimentation), and a pasture plot on Martinique. Aggregation inherited from past earthworm activities probably maintains SOM protection after earthworms have disappeared ; longer term experiments are necessary to observe C dynamics after the disappearance of inherited earthworm structures. In two experiments with maize in Ivory Coast and Peru, the activity of earthworms led to a small increase in the incorporation of organic matter from surface mulch in the SOM. Most of the C incorporated into the SOM originated from root material, and earthworm activities only slightly modified this pattern. Earthworm activity had significant effects on the distribution of C among particle size fractions. The general trend was a depletion of large (greater than 50 micrometers) particles and an accumulation of small (less than 2 micrometers) particles. Nutrient depletion in low-input cropping systems was not impeded by earthworm activities ; at Yurimaguas, some signs of a better conservation of K were noted after 3 years in the traditional rotation. (Résumé d'auteur
