Why We Need to Pay More Attention to the Decline of Earthworms
- 5 years ago
Why We Need to Pay
More Attention to the
Decline of Earthworms Unlike bees, which have their own holiday,
earth worms don’t get attention or
credit for their role in the environment. Earthworms are known as ‘ecosystem
engineers’ and can significantly modify
habitats and their soil profiles. Not only do they improve soil structure,
they also digest nutrients and make them
more accessible for plants. Earthworms also play an important role
in the processes of carbon cycling, water
infiltration and greenhouse gas emissions. However, factors such as intensive
farming practices and chemical
overuse have caused their decline. According to a 2018 study conducted
in England, 42% of self-surveyed fields
were seriously deficient of earthworms. Particularly absent from 16% of the fields
were deep-burrowing worms, which help
with the retention of rainwater in soil. These results were concerning, as deep
burrowing worms have slow reproductive rates,
making their possible recovery a long process. Farmers must adopt more conservative agriculture
methods that involve reduced-tillage practices
in order to preserve the earthworm population.
More Attention to the
Decline of Earthworms Unlike bees, which have their own holiday,
earth worms don’t get attention or
credit for their role in the environment. Earthworms are known as ‘ecosystem
engineers’ and can significantly modify
habitats and their soil profiles. Not only do they improve soil structure,
they also digest nutrients and make them
more accessible for plants. Earthworms also play an important role
in the processes of carbon cycling, water
infiltration and greenhouse gas emissions. However, factors such as intensive
farming practices and chemical
overuse have caused their decline. According to a 2018 study conducted
in England, 42% of self-surveyed fields
were seriously deficient of earthworms. Particularly absent from 16% of the fields
were deep-burrowing worms, which help
with the retention of rainwater in soil. These results were concerning, as deep
burrowing worms have slow reproductive rates,
making their possible recovery a long process. Farmers must adopt more conservative agriculture
methods that involve reduced-tillage practices
in order to preserve the earthworm population.