Earthworms

I read somewhere that earthworms are the badger's main meal. (Just throwing that out as a sidenote.)

The first earthworms probably arrived with soils and plants brought from Europe. Ships traveling to North America used rocks and soil as ballast which they dumped on shore as they adjusted the ballast weight of the ship. During the late 1800's and early 1900's many European settlers imported European plants that likely had earthworms or earthworm cocoons (egg cases) in their soils. More recently, the widespread use of earthworms as fishing bait has spread them to more remote areas of the state. All common bait worms are non-native species, including those sold as "night crawlers," "Canadian crawlers," "leaf worms," or "angle worms."...

...hardwood forests developed in the absence of earthworms. Without worms, fallen leaves decompose slowly, creating a spongy layer of organic "duff." This duff layer is the natural growing environment for native woodland wildflowers. It also provides habitat for ground-dwelling animals and helps prevent soil erosion.

Invading earthworms eat the leaves that create the duff layer and are capable of eliminating it completely. Big trees survive, but many young seedlings perish, along with many ferns and wildflowers. Some species return after the initial invasion, but others disappear. In areas heavily infested by earthworms, soil erosion and leaching of nutrients may reduce the productivity of forests and ultimately degrade fish habitat.

Whoa, you mean worms are NOT endemic to N.A.?? And they are not beneficial to our system? Without decomposition could we survive?

jclbiz

Earthworm are alien invaders and they are not good for the native environment:

There are over 100 species of native North American earthworms...

Green Witch wrote:

Quote:

Earthworm are alien invaders and they are not good for the native environment:

This seemed a rather unbelievable proposition to me, but I like to learn new things.

I didn't have to go far. In GW's own "SOURCE" link I found this:

Quote:

There are over 100 species of native North American earthworms...

"Native" Alien invaders...hmmm

We don't need them for decomposition, nature does fine without them. Worms basically compete with our North American flora for food - and the worms are faster. Worm compost is fine for the vegetable garden, but not for the American forest or meadow.

I first came across this information while reading a book called "Buffalo Woman's Garden", it was written by a Native American woman growing up on land that had once been a homesteading town. The indian women always killed any worms they found in the soil feeling they were another pest brought on by the Europeans.