Hindawi Applied and Environmental Soil Science Volume 2017, Article ID 5808945, 16 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/5808945 Research Article Interaction between Soil Physicochemical Parameters and Earthworm Communities in Irrigated Areas with Natural Water and Wastewaters Kourtel Ghanem Nadra,1,2 Kribaa Mohammed,3 and El Hadef El Okki Mohammed4 1 Agronomic Sciences Department, Veterinary Sciences and Agronomic Sciences Institute, Batna 1 University, 05000 Batna, Algeria 2Ecology and Environment Department, Faculty of Life and Natural Science, Batna 2 University, Fisdis, Batna, Algeria 3Biology Departement, Universite´ Larbi Ben M’hidi Oum El Bouaghi, 04000 Oum El Bouaghi, Algeria 4Institut National de l’Alimentation, UniversitedesFr´ eres` Mentouri de Constantine 1, Constantine, Algeria Correspondence should be addressed to Kourtel Ghanem Nadra; nadra [email protected] Received 6 March 2017; Revised 14 June 2017; Accepted 31 July 2017; Published 11 October 2017 Academic Editor: Marco Trevisan Copyright © 2017 Kourtel Ghanem Nadra et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Our objective is to study interaction between physical and chemical properties of soils and their earthworm community characteristics in different areas irrigated by wastewaters and well waters. The fields have different topography and agricultural practices conditions and are located in two regions of Batna department (Eastern Algeria). Both regions are characterized by a semiarid climate with cold winters and Calcisol soils. Nine fields were subject of this study. Three of these fields are located in Ouled Si Slimane region whose irrigation is effectuated by natural waters of Kochbi effluent. The other six fields are located atedges of Wed El Gourzi, effluent from Batna city, and partially treated through water treatment station. The best rates of water saturation and infiltration as well as abundance of earthworms were recorded at sites characterized by irrigation with wastewaters downstream of El Gourzi effluent. PCA characterizes two major groups: a group of hydrodynamic infiltration parameters and structural index stability of soil, explained by fields irrigated with wastewaters downstream of El Gourzi effluent. This group includes chemical characteristics: pH and electric conductivity. The second group is the characteristics of earthworms and includes organic matter content, active limestone levels, and Shannon Biodiversity Index. 1. Introduction presently 11% of the total worldwide population; it is esti- mated that the population with adequate water will be 38% Treated or untreated urban wastewater has been used com- in 2025 [3]. monly for agricultural irrigation in arid and semiarid regions Reuse of raw or treated agricultural wastewater is a of the world. According to the estimations, at least 20 million widespread practice downstream of urban centers and mostly hectares of agricultural land worldwide is irrigated with in areas affected by water shortages [4]. Although proscribed, treated and untreated wastewaters [1]. In areas suffering this practice is appreciated by farmers because wastewater is from water shortage, such as arid and semiarid areas, where a regularly available and abundant resource and contains the insufficiency and water scarcity inevitably pose problems, fertilizer needed to improve soil properties and yield crops especially from the point of view of meeting quantitative [5, 6]. needs of irrigation in agriculture, the wastewater recycling Urban wastewater contains higher levels of organic mat- as a complementary water resource is interesting for cul- ter, nutrients, and pollutants (heavy metals and suspended tivated soils to solve the problem posed in agriculture by solids) compared to fresh water. Although wastewater appli- water resources insufficiency in these zones [2]. Its use has cation provides positive effects on soil properties and crop increased recently because there are inadequate freshwater productivity because of its high organic matter and macro- resources. The population suffering from water scarcity is and micronutrient contents, the pollutants in wastewater may 2 Applied and Environmental Soil Science ∘ cause some problems to soil and crops [7]. Nevertheless, coordinates of this region are as follows: latitude: 35 37 52 ; ∘ wastewater compounds in particular affect soil porosity and Longitude: 6 22 09 .Itisatanaltitudeof1100meters. hence hydrological properties [8]. Nadav et al. [9] indicated The geomorphology of this region is related to brittle that the physicochemical properties of soils were altered with tectonics, where a collapse zone corresponds to a plain and a treated wastewater irrigation, because long-term wastewa- high zone corresponds to the mounts: Dj. Bou Arif (1744 m), ter application caused the accumulation of organic matter Koudiat Tfouda in Dj. Tafraout (1080 m), and Dj. Sarif in soil. High organic matter in wastewater is cement for (1744 m). The hydrographic network is mainly represented the improvement of soil aggregates. Therefore, lower bulk by Gourzi effluent or El Madher river, which springs from density and higher infiltration and water retention have Batna watershed and empties into the Chott Gadine, with a been obtained under the wastewater irrigation conditions. multitude of Chaabas and Talwegs. However, suspended solids in wastewater negatively affect the Precipitation is very low distributed over a period of 30 soil porosity. years (1985–2015), with total annual average precipitation Earthworm’s activities of a mechanical or metabolic of 319,28 mm/year. The average monthly temperature range ∘ ∘ nature allow transforming organic matter, recycling nutri- is from 5.23 CinJanuaryto25.66CinJuly.TheGaussen ents, and transferring matter and energy between different Ombrothermic diagram shows a relatively long dry period, horizons. Their importance in mixing soil horizons has been spreading from May to October. The study area is classified underlined by many authors [10–13]. Earthworms have a very according to Emberger’s Climogram in semiarid bioclimatic important role for soil fertility; they essentially favor the zone with cool winter and hot summer. formation of clay-humic complexes; anecic worms together feed on organic and mineral matter, increase stability of 2.2. Presentation of Ouled Si Slimane Region. Ouled Si Sli- aggregates, and make it possible to unpack compacted soils mane town is located in the western part of Batna department [14]. Above all, they create loose structure elements in soil, at a distance of 90 km (Figure 1). The chief town of ¨ıraDa is ∘ possessing high porosity, which increases useful reserves limited by the following Lambert coordinates: 35 37 Nfor ∘ and allows good aeration; this structure is very favorable to latitude North and 5 38 for longitude East, with an average germination and nodulation of clover and increases yield of altitude of 760 m. certain crops [15]. Roots use earthworm galleries to grow [14]. The main geological structure of Ouled Si Slimane region Earthworms also modify the microbial communities through is divided into three strata as follows: digestion, stimulation, and dispersion in casts. Consequently, changes in activities of earthworm communities, as a result of (i) The mountainous region consists mainly of calcare- soil management practices, can also be used as indicators of ous rocks of the Cretaceous. soil fertility and quality [16]. Despite the importance of this (ii) The plains consist mainly of calcareous marls of lower fauna and work done on these organisms, it is not important Miocene. in Algeria [17]. In Algeria, work on biodiversity of earth- (iii) There are also slopes and Wadis (rivers or effluents). wormsisstillinsufficient.Thisveryvariedbiogeographic Those are alluviums, regs, and terraces of the Quater- space in terms of climate, soil, and vegetation from the littoral nary constituted principally of clays, silt, and pebbles. to the desert could reveal a great diversity of earthworms with certainly species very adapted to the drought. Studies Hydrography is represented by an effluents network all ori- on this subject are difficult: on one hand, identification and ented from north to south and from north to east of the classification of these organisms remain difficult due to lack region. This network is practically seasonal, dry in summer of qualified taxonomists [18] and, on the other hand, study of andtorrentialinwinter.ItincludesWedLa¨ıoune and Wed earthworms is not obvious due to several constraints related Kochbi effluents. to nature of soil and the complexity of these organisms [19]. Precipitation is very low distributed over a period In this complex set of contexts, we have found it interest- of 25 years, with total annual average precipitation of ing to contribute to studying the interaction between physical 318,12 mm/year. The Gaussen Ombrothermic diagram shows and physicochemical properties of soil and the properties a relatively long dry period, spreading from May to October. of earthworm community in El Madher region, where soils The study area is classified according to Emberger’s Climo- are cultivated and irrigated by the partially treated waters gram in semiarid bioclimatic zone with cold winter and hot of El Gourzi effluent and are in incessant extension. We summer. have chosen Ouled Si Slimane area as a control field,