Invasive earthworms of North America

Lumbricus herculeus and Lumbricus terrestris, widely spread invasive earthworms native to Europe.

Invasive species of earthworms from the suborder Lumbricina have been expanding their range in North America.[1] Earthworms are considered one of the most abundant macroinvertebrates in the soil of ecosystems in temperate and tropical climates.[2] There are around 3,000 species known worldwide.[2] They are considered keystone species in their native habitats of Asia and Europe because, as detritivores, they alter many different variables of their ecosystem.[3] Their introduction to North America has had marked effects on the nutrient cycles and soil profiles in temperate forests. These earthworms increase the cycling and leaching of nutrients by breaking up decaying organic matter and spreading it into the soil. This thins out the soil rapidly because earthworms do not require a mate to reproduce, allowing them to spread fast.[4] Since plants native to these northern forests are evolutionarily adapted to the presence of thick layers of decaying organic matter, the introduction of worms can lead to a loss of biodiversity as young plants face less nutrient-rich conditions. Some species of trees and other plants may be incapable of surviving such changes in available nutrients.[5] This change in the plant diversity in turn affects other organisms and often leads to increased invasions of other exotic species as well as overall forest decline.[3][6] They are considered one of the most invasive animals in the Midwestern United States along with feral swine.[7]

  1. ^ Nico Eisenhauer, Stephan Partsch, Dennis Parkinson and Stefan Scheu. 2007. Invasion of a deciduous forest by earthworms: changes in soil chemistry, microflora, microarthropds, and vegetation. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 39: 1099-110.doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.12.019
  2. ^ a b Edwards, Clive A.; Arancon, Norman Q. (2022). "Biology and Ecology of Earthworms". Springer. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-74943-3. ISBN 978-0-387-74942-6.
  3. ^ a b Lee E. Frelich, Cindy M. Hale, Stefan Scheu, Andrew R. Holdsworth, Liam Heneghan, Patrick J. Bohlen and Peter B. Reich. 2006. Earthworm invasion into previously earthworm-free temperate and boreal forests. Biological Invasions 8: 1235–245. doi:10.1007/s10530-006-9019-3
  4. ^ "Invasive jumping worms damage U.S. soil and threaten forests". Science News. 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  5. ^ Campbell, Neil A., and Jane B. Reece. 2009. Biology. San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings.
  6. ^ Katalin Szlavecza, Sarah A. Placellaa, Richard V. Pouyatb, Peter M. Groffmanc, Csaba Csuzdid and Ian Yesilonis. 2006. Invasive earthworm species and nitrogen cycling in remnant forest patches. Applied Soil Ecology 32: 54-62. doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2005.01.006
  7. ^ Poland, Therese M.; Patel-Weynand, Toral; Finch, Deborah M.; Miniat, Chelcy Ford; Hayes, Deborah C.; Lopez, Vanessa M. (2021), "Correction to: Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States", Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. C1, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-45367-1_17, ISBN 978-3-030-45366-4