Invasive Earthworm Species
Invasive Earthworm Species - Related Videos
07:03
Analysis of Earthworm Populations in Soil
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2023
Source: Laboratories of Margaret Workman and Kimberly Frye - Depaul University Using mustard, Lumbricus terrestris earthworm populations can be sampled directly from soil depths without landscape disturbance or toxicity. Earthworms can then be counted for data and statistical analysis using a bar graph and student’s t-test. Monitoring earthworm populations is a vital technique for environmental scientists, as multiple species of earthworms (most notably those from the suborder Lumbricina) have...
14:33
Generation, Purification, and Characterization of Cell-invasive DISC1 Protein Species
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Cited by 13 •
2012
The generation, purification and cell invasion of intracellular, cytoplasmic full length DISC1 protein aggresomes from cell cultures and of a labeled, multimeric recombinant DISC1 protein fragment in E. coli are described. Cell invasiveness is shown for recipient cells in cell culture and for neurons in vivo after stereotactical brain inoculation.
12:26
Integrating Remote Sensing with Species Distribution Models; Mapping Tamarisk Invasions Using the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM)
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Cited by 34 •
2016
We demonstrate the utility of remotely sensed data and the newly developed Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM) in predicting invasive species occurrence on the landscape. An ensemble of predictive models produced highly accurate maps of tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) invasion in Southeastern Colorado, USA when assessed with subsequent field validations.
10:14
Species Distribution and Biogeography - Student Protocol
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2019
Simulating Colonization and Extinction on Islands ExpandForm groups of three. One member of the group will simulate colonization by throwing balls into the groups of cups representing the islands. Another will simulate extinction by rolling dice to randomly remove balls from the cups. The third group member will record the data. Take time to familiarize yourself with the four island stations. NOTE: There are two large islands with 12 cups and two small islands with 6 cups. Two of the stations...
04:04
Species Distribution and Biogeography - Concepts
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2019
Species Distribution Biogeography is the study of species distribution across geographic space and the processes that shape these distributions. This discipline is based on the assumption that each species within a location must have immigrated from another geographic area or evolved from a local species. Within each habitat, a variety of biotic and abiotic factors act on individual species to shape birth, death, immigration, and emigration rates. To avoid local extinction, the combined birth...
FAQs
Their feeding and burrowing process moves leaf litter into mineral soil, where organic material becomes more closely connected with soil particles and microorganisms. This mixing can speed decomposition and redistribute nutrients through the soil profile. As a result, forests may develop different soil structure, moisture conditions, and microbial activity than they had before earthworm establishment.
In forests that evolved without earthworms, plants, soil organisms, and nutrient cycling developed under conditions where leaf litter accumulated at the surface. The arrival of invasive earthworm species can rapidly reduce that litter layer and change the physical and biological setting. These shifts may alter plant communities and reduce or reorganize soil invertebrate biodiversity.
The strongest effects concern the distribution of organic material, soil structure, moisture, nutrient location, and microbial activity. By consuming and mixing leaf litter with mineral soil, these animals change where decomposition occurs and how materials move through the soil. Environmental scientists therefore examine several properties together rather than treating litter loss as an isolated response.
Monitoring can compare areas with different levels of earthworm presence and record the thickness of leaf-litter layers, soil structure, moisture, microbial activity, plant communities, and soil invertebrate biodiversity. Examining these indicators together helps reveal whether changes are limited to soil conditions or extend to vegetation and broader ecosystem function, supporting more informative ecological assessments.
Risk assessment helps identify how earthworm establishment and spread may affect nutrient cycling, soil conditions, plant communities, and invertebrate biodiversity. By connecting earthworm activity with these ecological responses, researchers can judge which ecosystem components are most vulnerable and where monitoring or management attention may be most important.
These studies support ecological monitoring, risk assessment, and management strategies while providing evidence about how introduced organisms reshape ecosystem function. Their relevance extends beyond earthworms because the observed changes link species introductions with decomposition, nutrient redistribution, soil modification, microbial activity, vegetation, and biodiversity. This makes them useful for evaluating wider environmental consequences of biological invasions.