I think the discussion has turned too specific about earthworms (or
generic, as they involve several genera) and went a little far from
how it started. The question in my mind is: Are we spending too much
money for the conservation of charismatic species? But what if those
charismatic species are "umbrella" species, and conserving their
habitats allows the conservation of the entire package (including the
earthworms, mycorrhizae, etc., as well as many ecosystem services)?
What would happen if the giant pandas, lemurs, tigers, etc. become
extinct in the wild? How effective at attracting money for
conservation would government and non-government organizations be
without such charismatic species?
