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Lumbricidae – soil architects
– Aristotle
«Earthworms are the intestines of the earth»
In China, earthworms are called "angels of the soil"
- Charles Darwin
«Earthworms are noble plowmen of the soil»
Earthworms create 70% of soil pore space
In one summer, 100 worms make a kilometer of tunnels in the soil
In one day, worms on an area of 1 hectare will process 0.5 tons of soil (if the number of worms is 1,000,000 individuals per 1 hectare, and one adult worm per day passes through the digestive canal an amount of earth with organic matter equal to its body weight - on average 0. 5 years)
In one year, worms form a layer of soil on average about 3 mm thick
Soil fertility is always created by living organisms.
An earthworm performs at least five essential functions:
Loosens the ground
Soil detoxification. The worm has symbiotic digestion. It feeds on rotting organic matter, which contains a huge number of microorganisms that secrete toxins to protect themselves. The microflora of the worm kills these microorganisms and disinfects their toxins
The worm directs soil processes towards humus formation. It eats everything in soil microorganisms and secretes coprolites, which are called vermicompost, since humus is the main component in the worm’s secretions. But microorganisms live in vermicompost, which “produce” humus outside the worm
Soil structuring. The microflora of the worm secretes mucus, and coprolites - the excrement of the worm - already have the form of small lumps. Bacteria that continue to live on the surface of these lumps secrete mucus, which contributes to the enlargement of the lumps of earth. Moving in the ground, the worm contributes to this enlargement.
Lithotrophic microorganisms, multiplying abundantly in structured soil, extract minerals and trace elements from the parent soil.
Homo Sapiens, using agrochemistry, destroyed the delicate process of mutual regulation of living participants in the system: plants - soils - soil organisms, therefore there is widespread degradation of all life on the planet.
Classical farming methods, including deep plowing, reduce the number of earthworms in the soil due to mechanical damage, bringing them to the soil surface - prey to predators. The destruction of earthworm tunnels during re-ploughing results in a significant reduction in earthworm populations; Tilling changes soil temperature and moisture, as well as food availability. The loss of organic matter in the soil causes the most pronounced decline in earthworms. Shallow plowing does not reduce earthworm numbers as much as deep plowing. The no-till method is the most favorable for earthworms. The number of earthworms in the soil increases if straw remains on the surface of the unplowed soil after harvesting. When the no-till method is used for several years, the earthworm population increases up to thirtyfold, but this population may gradually decline as soil organic matter is the limiting factor. Higher nitrogen mineralization was found in soils where shallow tillage was used than in soils where conventional cultivation methods (deep tillage) were used.
The most complete morpho-ecological classification of the family Lumbricidae, which is still used in world literature, was proposed by M. Boucher in 1972. He divided earthworms into three groups according to their ecological strategies: epigeic - worms that live in and feed on the litter; anecic - large worms that penetrate deep into the soil through vertical passages, but feed on the litter on the surface; endogeic - worms that live directly in the soil and feed on humus in the humus horizon (Bouche, 1972; Fründ et al., 2010; Fierer, 2019).
The most common dung earthworms, Eisenia fetida (trademark “Prospector”), live mainly in various manures, droppings, feces, in compost heaps and pits, in landfills with organic waste, in gardens and vegetable gardens with constantly mulched soil.
It is much less common to find other types of compost earthworms living in the 10-15 centimeter surface layer of this organic matter:
Classical farming methods, including deep plowing, reduce the number of earthworms in the soil due to mechanical damage, bringing them to the soil surface - prey to predators. The destruction of earthworm tunnels during re-ploughing results in a significant reduction in earthworm populations; Tilling changes soil temperature and moisture, as well as food availability. The loss of organic matter in the soil causes the most pronounced decline in earthworms. Shallow plowing does not reduce earthworm numbers as much as deep plowing. The no-till method is the most favorable for earthworms. The number of earthworms in the soil increases if straw remains on the surface of the unplowed soil after harvesting. When the no-till method is used for several years, the earthworm population increases up to thirtyfold, but this population may gradually decline as soil organic matter is the limiting factor. Higher nitrogen mineralization was found in soils where shallow tillage was used than in soils where conventional cultivation methods (deep tillage) were used.
The most complete morpho-ecological classification of the family Lumbricidae, which is still used in world literature, was proposed by M. Boucher in 1972. He divided earthworms into three groups according to their ecological strategies: epigeic - worms that live in and feed on the litter; anecic - large worms that penetrate deep into the soil through vertical passages, but feed on the litter on the surface; endogeic - worms that live directly in the soil and feed on humus in the humus horizon (Bouche, 1972; Fründ et al., 2010; Fierer, 2019).
The most common dung earthworms, Eisenia fetida (trademark “Prospector”), live mainly in various manures, droppings, feces, in compost heaps and pits, in landfills with organic waste, in gardens and vegetable gardens with constantly mulched soil.
It is much less common to find other types of compost earthworms living in the 10-15 centimeter surface layer of this organic matter:
Allolobophora longa, Canadian Creeper
Dendrobaena octaedra
Dendrodrilus rubidus, Dendrobena rubida, Dendrobena red
Eisenia Andrea – (trademark "Red California Worm")
Eisenia hortensis – (trademark Dendrobaena, Dendrobaena Veneta)
These are types of common surface earthworms that have come to be called technological earthworms. In countries with a warm tropical climate, heat-loving species of surface earthworms are used to process organic waste into vermicompost: Eudrilus eugenia, Perionix excavatus.
Distribution of E. colchidica in the Caucasus
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