Researchers Build a Case for Earthworm's Slimy Reputation (Earthworms: The Silent Killers)

New York Times ^ | October 28, 2003 | ANNE MINARD

[F.J. Mitchell]

Scientists never stop angling for excuses for amassing big tax bucks in research grants, do they?

This sounds a little fishy.

[F.J. Mitchell]

The sky is falling,
the earth is crawling,
liberals are whining and bawling.
Fixing what ain't broke is their calling.

[cogitator]

The scientists proved that the worms are capable of eating leaves and plant matter, not that this is common behavior for them in the wild.

The researcher (Gundale) found sites in the forest with the larger earthworm (L. rubellus) that had depleted leaf litter, and also did a 'bucket' experiment showing that they reduced this layer. That's both lab experiment and field observation.

The main reason I posted the links was to see if there were other stories about this particular brand of invasive species. Invasive (non-native) species are a worldwide problem; these earthworms probably can't hold a candle to Asian carp, zebra mussels, kudzu, melaleuca trees, garlic mustard, nutria, and gypsy moths, to name a few off the top of my head. Here's a link to informatoin about more:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Role in Fighting Invasive Species

Since we're concerned about restricting immigration, why limit ourselves to humans?

[presidio9]

Here, let's try this again:

There were worms here 15m years ago. Most of them got wiped out by the ice age. Conclusion: The natural state of our forests is to have worms. 10m years is not long enough for the salamander to evolve. I can promise you that there have been worms in the forests of NY where I live for at least 30 years and the fauna has not been negatively effected. Raccoons eat em. Skunks eat em. Foxes eat um. Snakes eat 'em. Moles eat 'em. Shrews eat 'em. I suspect bats and owls eat 'em, but who knows.

I agree that zebra mussels are a problem. I do not share your concern when it comes to earthworms.

[cogitator]

As I said, I don't see the earthworms as nearly the problem as other invasives, but there is interesting information that indicates they are an invasive species that can cause some ecosystem alteration under the right circumstances. Certainly this appears minor compared to what some of the other invasives can do (nutria is a great example).

In Maryland, last year we had a semi-major incident when snakehead fish from China were found in a pond. It's likely that the person that released them didn't know that they could potentially become a big problem. Releasing snakeheads is probably considerably worse than releasing earthworms (as the article notes, many of the people who did it probably thought it was good for the environment). But because they are introduced and not part of the indigenous natural ecosystem, if they survive they have the potential to alter that ecosystem. The pattern with invasive species has been that the natural ecosystem in which the invasive species are introduced does not have the 'controls' in place that determine the population of the invasive species in its own natural environment, and the invasive species thus out-competes the natural residents. Ecosystem change happens naturally, but the increased ability of organisms to move via human-aided processes accelerates ecosystem change.

[berkeleybeej]

I really, really hope you are joking.

Nope..not joking. You see, there are not any earthworms in the area where I live. None at all. I thought that was weird. Other places I've lived, you dig in the ground and you will always find worms.

So I thought if I added worms, I'd be enhancing the ecology of the area. Reading this article and a couple of the other ones referenced, I realized that the earthworm isn't a native, so why would I want to introduce a new species?

BTW, the coons, possums, skunks etc. are doing just fine on the grubs, mice and rats :)

[spodefly]

Small populations lingered in pockets of warmer soils, in the southeastern United States and along the Pacific Coast. Now most earthworms in the country are descended from immigrants.

We truly are a nation of immigrants.

[presidio9]

I stopped worrying about immigrants taking my job when I was 14 or 15. That's when I quit mowing lawns for a living an got my first skilled job.

[spodefly]

You were worried that immigrant earthworms were going to take your job?

[presidio9]

Wasn't everybody?

[LittleJoe]

More taxpayer funded nonsense. These "biologists" need to get a real job!

Reminds me of the time "scientists" claimed hemp was not a native plant in America.

You can see hemp baskets in museums on the west coast. They were made by Indians in California and Nevada over 3000 years ago.

Then we had the spotted owl. Remember that one? The "biologists" told us that the spotted owl will only nest in old growth forrests. They actually prefer the golden arches of McDonalds!

We have too many ignorant envirojerks being given "scientist" status!

[Virginia-American]

Darwin wrote a book about 'em.

[Rudder]

Nobody is proposing to remove earthworms where they are already established. That would be daunting, or impossible

Not if you put a bounty on the critters!