Original article The impact of cattle pasturage on small annelids (Annelida: Enchytraeidae, Tubificidae, Aeolosomatidae) in grasslands of the White Carpathians (Czech Republic) J. Schlaghamerský * , K. Kobetičová Institute of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic Available online 10 August 2006 Abstract Small soil-dwelling annelids (Enchytraeidae, Tubificidae, Aeolosomatidae) were investigated at two sites in the White Car- pathians (Czechia), each consisting of one meadow and one cattle pasture. Sampling was conducted on four dates during a 1-year period (2002–2003). Enchytraeid species numbers ranged from 11 to 17, with more species found in the meadows. The most abundant species were Enchytraeus buchholzi s. l., Fridericia isseli, Fridericia semisetosa, Fridericia galba, Fridericia bulboides, Fridericia bisetosa, Cernosvitoviella minor (in the meadows), and Achaeta spp. (in one of the pastures). Henlea spp. preferred the pastures. Rhyacodrilus falciformis was recorded in all plots, Aeolosoma hemprichi and A. cf. niveum in one meadow plot. Enchy- traeid densities reached up to 13 750 individuals m -2 , later drought led to much lower values. Densities were generally higher in meadows than in pastures. The vertical distribution differed between meadows and pastures: higher percentages of individuals were present in the upper 6 cm of pasture soil. © 2006 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. Keywords: Enchytraeidae; Tubificidae; Aeolosomatidae; Meadow; Pasture; Grassland 1. Introduction Pasturage has shaped many landscapes. Despite its effects on soil (such as soil compaction by trampling, removal of biomass input by grazing but massive input of dead organic matter and nutrients in dung patches, and long-term changes in the character of dead organic matter due to changes in vegetation) [1], only a limited number of studies have looked on the impact of grazing of domestic animals on enchytraeids [4,5,7]. Another traditional use of grasslands is hay production, which has now become much less economically viable in most of Europe. In the White Carpathians, a mountain range on the border between the Czech and Slovak Republics, extensive grasslands rich in plant species have been preserved. Sustainable methods of conservation man- agement are being sought. While formerly hay mea- dows were the prevailing type of land use, today graz- ing is being considered an economically more viable alternative. Within a project on the effect of pasturage on these grasslands, Enchytraeidae and other small annelids present (Tubificidae, Aeolosomatidae) were investigated with the objective of assessing if there are any differences in community structure, density and vertical distribution between the soil-dwelling com- munities of these small annelids in meadows and pas- tures that could be caused by cattle pasturage. Little is known of the enchytraeid fauna of Moravia (the Czech http://france.elsevier.com/direct/ejsobi European Journal of Soil Biology 42 (2006) S305–S309 * Corresponding author. Fax: +420 541 211 214. E-mail address: jiris@sci.muni.cz (J. Schlaghamerský). 1164-5563/$ - see front matter © 2006 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ejsobi.2006.07.037