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However, 'earthworm' can be a source of confusion since, in most of the world, other species are more typical. For example, through much of the unirrigated temperate areas of the world, the "common earthworm" is actually Aporrectodea (=Allolobophora) trapezoides, which in those areas is a similar size and dark colour to L. terrestris.
Earthworms are classified into three main ecophysiological categories: (1) leaf litter- or compost-dwelling worms that are nonburrowing, live at the soil-litter interface and eat decomposing organic matter e.g. Eisenia fetida; (2) topsoil- or subsoil-dwelling worms that feed (on soil), burrow and cast within the soil, creating horizontal ...
Up to 60 cm in length, this earthworm is one of the largest European species. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] It weighs between 25 and 35 g and lives in subterranean tubes which are up to 2.5 m deep. It feeds on organic matter it ingests from the surface and aerates the soil as it moves through it, contributing to the formation of humus .
Microchaetus rappi, the African Giant Earthworm, is a large earthworm in the family Microchaetidae, the largest of the segmented worms (commonly called earthworms). It averages about 1.4 meters (4.5 feet) in length, but can reach a length of as much as 6.7 meters (22 feet) and can weigh over 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds).
Invasive earthworms can have a significant impact causing changes in soil profiles, nutrient and organic matter content and other soil organisms or plant communities. In most cases the disturbed areas includes agricultural systems or previously areas that are lacking of earthworms would see the biggest impact of the invasive earthworms. [ 28 ]
Gardners beware -- the invasive Amynthas agrestis, also known as the Asian jumping worm, could be wiggling around a garden near you. These worms are known for their insatiable appetite and ability ...
Gippsland earthworm colonies are small and isolated, [9] and the species' low reproductive rates and slow maturation make those small populations vulnerable. [9] Their natural habitats are grasslands, and while they can survive beneath pastures, [ 9 ] cultivation, heavy cattle grazing and effluent run-off are adversarial to the species. [ 9 ]
Therefore, it is the fraction of soil which has gone through the digestive tract of earthworms, [2] or the lining of an earthworm burrow. [3] The average thickness of the drilosphere (lining of an earthworm burrow) is 2 mm, [ 4 ] but it can be much wider (about 8 mm) around the burrows of litter-feeding earthworms.