In sustainable agricultural systems, Organic Matter (OM) is applied in order to improve (i) soil fertility , (ii) soil structure stability and (iii) biological activities (macrofauna and microorganisms). The additional OM is used as trophic resource by the fauna, and in relation with the burrowing activity of earthworms it is incorporated and distributed in the soil profile with a high concentration in the so-called drilosphere (soil forming the burrow wall area). In temperate climate, earthworms are identified as the most important ecosystem engineers. Their burrows have a major impact on soil functioning, especially on hydraulic functioning: burrows connected to the soil surface influence water infiltration. However, the properties of the earthworm burrow networks are strongly related to several parameters, that can influence their impact on soil hydraulic functioning: (i) the different earthworm ecological groups: anecic species create sub-vertical permanent but little ramified burrow network, whereas endogeic species create sub-horizontal ephemeral but very ramified burrow network, (ii) the trophic richness of the site: the burrowing activity can increase in relation with a search for food since the soil has a low organic richness, (iii) the chemical characteristics of the drilosphere. Concerning the hydraulic functioning of the burrows, vertical water movement in earthworm burrows is already studied, but it can not explain the water movement from the burrow system into the soil matrix and so the soil water content. It is also necessary to take into account the lateral water movement through the burrow walls into the surrounding soil matrix. The aim of this study was to assess the functional role of the drilosphere in arable soil by investigating (i) the physical and chemical characteristics of the burrows and (ii) the water movement, especially the diffusion through the burrow walls, in relation with the OM inputs and earthworm species of different ecological groups. All the results obtained will improve our knowledge on the soil functioning in sustainable agricultural systems: water movement, macrofauna activities and OM dynamics. The study was carried out in microcosms (soil columns 25 cm high with a diameter of 12 cm in Plexiglas tubes) under controlled laboratory conditions (10°C). Compared to a non-fertilized control, two organic fertilizations were applied: cattle manure and pig slurry. Three earthworm species were introduced into the microcosms: Lumbricus terrestris (epi-anecic), Nicodrilus giardi (anecic) and Aporrectodea caliginosa (endogeic). Three soil columns (replicates) were set up per treatment. Physical characteristics of the burrows were studied by measuring the infiltration, using mini-infiltrometers at different water succion potentials (0.05; 0.2; and 0.6 kPa), located at the soil surface. For the chemical characteristics, C and N contents were measured (i) in two burrow soil areas: 0-3 mm and 3-10 mm within the macropore wall, and (ii) at three depths of the soil columns: 0-4 cm, 4-8 cm, 12-16 cm. This approach permits the study of the vertical and horizontal variation of the chemical characteristics. Soil samples obtained under the infiltrated zone were compared to those obtained under a non-infiltrated zone in the same soil column, in order to assess the influence of the chemical characteristics on water movement (diffusion). The results will be discussed in the context of sustainable agricultural management.