Effect of vole bioturbation on NO, NO, NH, CH and CO fluxes of slurry fertilized and non-fertilized montane grassland soils in Southern Germany.

Populations of rodents such as common vole (Microtus arvalis) can develop impressive soil bioturbation activities in grasslands. These burrowing and nesting activities highly impact soil physicochemical properties as well as vegetation coverage and diversity. Managed grasslands in livestock production regions receive significant amounts of slurry, commonly at high loads at the beginning of the vegetation period.