Early- and late-dry season fires proved less conducive to earthworms than prescribed mid-dry season fire after eight years in the Lamto tropical savannah

Summary

Because prescribed mid-dry season burn (MDS) failed in preventing shrub encroachment in wet savannahs of central Côte d’Ivoire, other times of burning are under investigation to identify a successful one. However, the management mainly focuses on vegetation, neglecting soil biodiversity including earthworms despite their critical role in soil functioning. This study explores how earthworms are impacted when shifting savannah burning from MDS to early-dry season (EDS) or late-dry season (LDS). It was carried out at three sites comprised of three plots each, where the fire treatments were respectively and annually applied for eight years. Earthworms were sampled using the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF) 25 cm × 25 cm x 30 cm-soil monolith protocol. Relative to MDS (352 ind. m −2 )