Radial pressures generated by the earthworm Aporrectodea rosea

B. M. McKenzie (Lead / Corresponding author), A. R. Dexter

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    43 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The radial pressures generated by the earthworm Aporrectodea rosea were measured in a study of the conditions under which the worms were able to crack soil discs into which they were encouraged to tunnel. The tensile strength of replicate discs was determined by indirect tension tests and by expansion of rubber membranes in soil discs. Simple engineering theory was used to relate the stress required to fracture a disc with the applied internal stress. Mean values for the radial stress applied by the earthworms in tunnelling through the discs was 230 kPa. With some assumptions about the distribution of muscles across the worm diameter, it was estimated that the mean maximum force generated by all the longitudinal muscles in any segment was 3.2 N.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)328-332
    Number of pages5
    JournalBiology and Fertility of Soils
    Volume5
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 1988

    Keywords

    • Aporrectodea rosea
    • Earthworm
    • Indirect tension test
    • Maximum force
    • Radial Pressure
    • Tunnelling

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Microbiology
    • Agronomy and Crop Science
    • Soil Science

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