Hristo Valchovski

• PhD
• Professor (Assistant) at Agricultural Academy - Bulgaria

In the period 2016 – 2018, during a research on the stocks and role of dead wood biomass in forest ecosystems from the Berkovski Balkan region (Western Stara Planina Mts., Bulgaria), we experimented for the first time in Bulgaria the analysis of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) caught with the method of the pitfall traps. We developed a system...

Abstract: Lumbricid earthworms are one of the major groups of pedobionts used for monitoring of soil ecosystems and specific biotic parameters of the soil environment. In the period 2016 – 2018 we studied the lumbricid fauna in model forest ecosystems with different amount of dead wood in the Western Stara planina Mts. During the investigation 20 s...

In this study, earthworm samples collected from 9 localities in Eskişehir Province were identified. At the end of the identification, 9 taxa belong to 6 genera were found: Aporrectodea jassyensis (Michaelsen, 1891), Aporrectodea handlirschi handlirshi (Rosa, 1897), Aporrectodea handlirschi mahnerti (Zicsi, 1973), Aporrectodea rosea (Savigny, 1826),...

In total 229 earthworm species were registered from the land consists of Balkan Peninsula, Anatolia, the Levant and Cyprus so far. Only three taxa of them are Atlanto-Mediterranean and Balkan-Anatolian species. An Atlanto-Mediterranean species Dendrobaena cognettii (Michaelsen, 1903) has been recently recorded from a locality in Anatolia in additio...

ABSTRACT In total 229 earthworm species were registered from the land consists of Balkan Peninsula, Anatolia, the Levant and Cyprus so far. Only three taxa of them are Atlanto-Mediterranean and Balkan-Anatolian species. An Atlanto-Mediterranean species Dendrobaena cognettii (Michaelsen, 1903) has been recently recorded from a locality in Anatolia...

Among the 226 earthworm species which were registered from Balkan Peninsula, Anatolia, the Levant and Cyprus, only two of them are Balkan-Anatolian species: Dendrobaena cognettii and Eisenia kattoulasi. D. cognettii is widely distributed in Europe. It is also recorded only in one locality in Thrace part of Turkey. E. kattoulasi is common in Balkans...

The current study deals with earthworm biodiversity of Adana Province. Identification was made by examining the earthworm specimens collected in 6 different localities. At the end of the study, 5 species belonging to 3 genus were found: Allolobophora chlorotica (Savigny, 1826), Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny, 1826), Aporrectodea rosea (Savigny...

Turkish Earthworms

In this study, an updated list of Turkish earthworm species is presented. In the last five years, several new species were added to the earthworm fauna of Turkey namely: Amynthas morrisi, Dendrobaena cevdeti, Dendrobaena cognettii, Dendrobaena pavliceki, Dendrobaena szalokii, Dendrobaena taurica, Eisenia andrei, Eisenia kontschani , Eisenia patrici...

In this study, an updated list of Turkish earthworm species is presented. In the last five years, several new species were added to the earthworm fauna of Turkey namely: Amynthas morrisi, Dendrobaena cevdeti, Dendrobaena cognettii, Dendrobaena pavliceki, Dendrobaena szalokii, Dendrobaena taurica, Eisenia andrei, Eisenia kontschani , Eisenia patrici...

The paper provides the first exploration of earthworm populations from region of thermal power plant Maritsa East 2 (Bulgaria). During the investigation was observed low biodiversity, count and biomass of lumbricid earthworms in reclaimed soils from coal mining. Five earthworm species were registered from the studied area: Aporrectodea caliginosa (...

Abstract. This paper presents the combined list of earthworms from Turkey and its neighbouring countries: Syria, Iran, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria. Turkey has one of the richest earthworm biodiversities among the Eurasian countries. Its interesting geographic position on the conjunction of three continents (Asia, Eur...

The early scientists who studied the earthworm fauna of Bulgaria were Rosa (1897), Černosvitov (1934), and Mihailova (1966). Their work was continued by Šapkarev (1986) and Zicsi and Csuzdi (1986). In the last decade, researchers from Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria organized explorations of many localities and enhanced the knowledge of the earthworm...

Results of recent earthworm collectings in Bulgaria are presented. During the investigations altogether 18 species have been registered. Dendrobaena platyura (Fitzinger, 1833) is a new record for the country, and with D. hrabei (Černosvitov, 1934) and Octodrilus transpadanus (Rosa, 1884) also for the region of Stara Planina (Balkan) Mts. D. hrabei,...

Results of recent earthworm collectings in Bulgaria are presented. During the investigations altogether 18 species have been registered. Dendrobaena platyura (Fitzinger, 1833) is a new record for the country, and with D. hrabei (Černosvitov, 1934) and Octodrilus transpadanus (Rosa, 1884) also for the region of Stara Planina (Balkan) Mts. D. hrabei,...

In this study, earthworm biodiversity of the Thrace which is a historical and geographic region in Southeastern Europe, centered on the modern borders of Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece were presented. The study underlines earthworm diversity of Thrace and provides a general overview of their distribution and zoogeographical position. We establish the...

In this study, earthworm biodiversity of the Thrace which is a historical and geographic region in Southeastern Europe, centered on the modern borders of Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece were presented. The study underlines earthworm diversity of Thrace and provides a general overview of their distribution and zoogeographical position. We establish the...

Abstract: In this paper, we present the current knowledge on earthworm diversity and zoogeography of Yıldız (Strandja) Mountain in Bulgaria and Turkey. During the investigation in 2015 and 2016, 8 earthworm species altogether were registered. Murchieona minuscula proved to be new to the earthworm fauna of Bulgaria. In addition, there were 4 taxa re...

In this study, earthworm specimens gathered from 2 different localities which are located in Kırklareli-Babaeski were identified. At the end of the study, 3 species belonging to 2 genus were found: Aporrectodea rosea (Savigny, 1826), Aporrectodea trapezoides (Dugès, 1828), Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826). It is the first record of Aporrectodea rose...

ABSTRACT: This study was carried out as a preliminary research on the earthworms of two different promenade area in Eskişehir province: Eskişehir Beşik Deresi and Eskişehir-Mihalıççık Gürleyik Village. The identification was made by examining the earthworm specimens collected in 4 different localities in Beşik Deresi and 2 localities in Gürleyik Vi...

Earthworm samples were collected from four insufficiently studied regions of Bulgaria: Central Stara Planina Mts., Ruy Mt., Breznik Plain and Sofia Plain. Ten earthworm species belonging to nine genera were identified: Allolobophora chlorotica (Savigny, 1826), Aporrectodea rosea (Savigny, 1826), A. trapezoides (Dugès, 1828), Cernosvitovia rebeli (R...

The study was performed to evaluate the nutritional value and antioxidant properties of cowpea grain, where plants were grown under conditions of tripartite symbiosis (cowpea plants, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Bradyrhizobium japonicum) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, (Glomus intraradices) without fertilization. Cowpea plants (Vigna unguiculata (L....

Mete Mısırlıoğlu, Hristo Valchovski and Ralitsa Tsekova PEREGRINE EARTHWORMS (CLITELLATA: LUMBRICIDAE) FROM BULGARIA AND TURKEY.

FIRST RECORD OF APORRECTODEA JASSYENSIS (MICHAELSEN, 1891) (CLITELLATA, LUMBRICIDAE) FROM RILA MOUNTAIN

FIRST RECORD OF APORRECTODEA JASSYENSIS (MICHAELSEN, 1891) (CLITELLATA, LUMBRICIDAE) FROM RILA MOUNTAIN

A list of the endemic earthworms of the Balkan Peninsula is presented. Comprehensive information on the ecology, distribution on the Balkan Peninsula and zoogeographical type of all endemics is given. The list comprises 90 species and subspecies, belonging to 11 genera of the family Lumbricidae. The largest number of the Balkan endemic earthworms b...

The current study is a contribution to the knowledge of the earthworm diversity from the Rila Mountains (Bulgaria). During the investigation 13 earthworm species were collected altogether, belonging to eight genera. Among them Aporrectodea handlirschi (Rosa, 1897) and Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny, 1826) proved to be new records from the territo...

The paper deals with contribution of the knowledge of earthworm fauna from Pirin Macedonia (Southwestern Bulgaria). During investigations eight earthworm taxa were registered. Two lumbricids Aporrectodea longa (Ude, 1885) and Lumbricus terrestris Linnaeus, 1758 are registered for the first time in Pirin Macedonia. In this paper we summarized our an...

The current study summarized the knowledge about distribution, habitats and zoogeography position of earthworms from the genus Fitzingeria. Until now five taxa have been included: Fitzingeria annectens (Rosa, 1895), Fitzingeria loebli (Zicsi, 1985), Fitzingeria platyura depressa (Rosa, 1893), Fitzingeria platyura montana (Èernosvitov, 1932) and Fit...

In the current study the diversity, zoogeographical position and distribution of earthworms from Sredna Gora Mountain (Bulgaria) is presented. During the present investigation, altogether ten earthworm species belonging to seven genera were collected. Among them, seven taxa are reported for the first time from the Sredna Gora Mt.: Cernosvitovia reb...

The current study explores the influence of soil organic matter content on abundance and biomass of earthworm communities. The observation was carried out on three type of soils: Pellic Vertisols (very fine texture), Cromi-Vertic Luvisols (fine texture) and Calcaric Fluvisols (medium texture) from the Balkan Peninsula (Bulgaria). The field experime...

Seminar of Ecology-with international participation

The study explores the influence of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) on the soil fungi communities. The observation was carried out in poplar forests on three types of soils: Pellic Vertisols, Cromi-Vertic Luvisols and Calcaric Fluvisols. The population of earthworms have a negative effect on the soil fungi. It was revealed that augmentation o...

The paper deals with the coelomic fluid of Eisenia fetida earthworm, which possess antibacterial activity. The bacteriostatic effect against Gram-positive soil bacteria strains: Bacilus idosus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus mycoides and Bacillus mesentericus was established. It was revealed that coelomic fluid of...

The coelomic fluid of four earthworm species, Aporrectodea rosea, Eisenia fetida, Lumbricus terres-tris and Octolasion lacteum, was investigated against Gram-negative bacteria strains: Aeromonas hydroph-ila, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas luteola and human pathogen Herpes simplex virus type 2 (genital herpes). The research revealed that on...

The paper deals with the earthworm diversity of Chalkidiki Peninsula, Greece. Aporrectodea longa (Ude, 1885) proved to be new species for the fauna of Greece and also represents the first earthworm record from Sithonia Peninsula. According to the literature and authors data 14 earthworm taxa are registered from the explored region. The paper underl...

The current study deals with earthworm biodiversity of Western Stara planina Mountains. Endemic earthworm species Cernosvitovia rebeli (Rosa, 1897) proved to be new record for the lumbricid fauna of the Western Stara planina Mountains. This is the western occurrence of this rare species on the territory of Bulgaria. The paper proved information abo...

The paper deals with earthworm diversity from Vitosha Mountain (Bulgaria). During the investigation 10 earthworm species were collected altogether, belonging to 7 genera. Among them, two taxa are reported for the first time from the explored region. Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny, 1826) and Lumbricus terrestris Linnaeus, 1758 are proved to be new...

Identifying the earthworm material recently collected from different parts of Bulgaria (Rila Mountain, Danube plain, Thracian Lowland and Sub-Balkan valleys) resulted in twelve records of lumbricids, including two earthworm species discovered for the first time in the country. The occurrence of Cernosvitovia munteniana Zicsi & Pop, 1991 in Bulgaria...

A rich earthworm material from 47 different localities in Sofia Plain has been elaborated. During the investigations between the years 2010 and 2013, thirteen earthworm species and subspecies were collected altogether, belonging to seven genera. Among them, three new records are reported. Aporrectodea longa (Ude, 1885), Eisenia lucens (Waga, 1857)...

All known records of Criodrilidae earthworms in the country were presented. The current knowledge for distribution of family Criodrilidae in Bulgaria was summarized. In this paper we report new locality of Criodrilus lacuum Hoffmeister, 1845. Surprisingly this species was found in one of the parks in Sofia Town. New data confirm its presence in Sof...

Little is known about the diversity, ecology, distribution and habitats of earthworm populations in Bulgaria. In the present study an attempt has been made to collect all scientific works on earthworm species (Lumbricidae) of Bulgaria. The complete list of earthworm taxa of Bulgaria comprises 50 species and subspecies of Lumbricidae, belonging to 1...

In this paper was assessed the response of earthworm communities to erosion in agroecosystems of Suhodol (Sofia province). The paper is aimed at establishing the changes in populations of earthworms in two different stage of erosion in cultivated and non cultivated plots. Earthworms were dug out and hand sorted in blocks-50x50cm and 20 cm depth. Th...

The responses of soil microorganisms after passage through the gut of Lumbricus terrestris were investigated. We estimated earthworm midden casts interactions with microorganisms on agrochemical properties and soil processes in the Smolnitza agroecosystem. The main functional and physiological groups of soil microbiota were isolated from casts of a...