Data from: Earthworms do not increase greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and N2O) in an ecotron experiment simulating a realistic three-crop rotation system

Earthworms are known to stimulate soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but
the majority of previous studies have used simplified model systems or
lacked continuous high-frequency measurements. To address this, we
conducted a two-year study using large lysimeters (5 m2 area and 1.5 m
soil depth) in an ecotron facility, continuously measuring ecosystem-level
CO2, N2O, and H2O fluxes. We investigated the impact of endogeic and
anecic earthworms on GHG emissions and ecosystem water use efficiency
(WUE) in a simulated agricultural setting. Although we observed transient
stimulations of carbon fluxes in the presence of earthworms, cumulative
fluxes over the study indicated no significant increase in CO2 emissions.
Endogeic earthworms reduced N2O emissions during the wheat culture
(-44.6%), but this effect was not sustained throughout the experiment. No
consistent effects on ecosystem evapotranspiration or WUE were found. Our
study suggests that earthworms do not significantly contribute to GHG
emissions over a two-year period in experimental conditions that mimic an
agricultural setting. These findings highlight the need for realistic
experiments and continuous GHG measurements.