Mesofauna

Enchytraeidae are small oligochaetes of large soil-biological importance. They feed on substrate like plant litter, fungi, mineral partiles, or faeces from other soil animals. They are very adaptable, occur everywhere from mineral soils to deciduous litter, and are mostly aggregated. Potworms establish partially high seasonally variable abundance and biomass (in coniferous forests up to 105 individuals (ind.) · m-2= ca. 2.5 g fresh mass (fm) · m-2. When compared to earthworms, they show higher metabolic activity for equal mass. Potworms occur in almost all soils with sufficient moisture.