Lee- Yeah, I guess it's not like earthworms leave much in the way of skeletal remains...is there anything in their innards that their remains or 'castings' might yield identifying signatures? -Don
> Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 09:51:38 -0500 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: [ENTS] Re: earthworms and invasive plants > > > Joe: > > Much of the earthworm literature states that earthworms were removed > from the northern states by glaciers and that the worms never returned, > and/or that North American species of earthworms can't live in glaciated > areas. > > However, there is no evidence for those statements. I have never seen > any proof that earthworms lived in the north prior to the last > glaciation, or that it takes more than 12,000 years for the earthworms > to move about 1200 miles from the areas where they would have lived > during the peak of glaciation, to places like MA, NH and MN. So, I think > that they essentially reached the limit imposed by colder climates as > they moved north. > > The correlations between whether an area is glaciated and native > earthworms are present also does not hold up very well. Southwestern WI, > for example, was not glaciated and has no native earthworm, whereas > Southeastern WI was glaciated and does have two species of native > earthworms. In addition to that, tundra and boreal forest with > permafrost would have extended as far south as TN and NC at the peak of > the last glaciation, and no North American earthworm species would find > those habitats suitable, so they had to move a great distance just to > make it back to places like MA and WI. I think earthworm ecologists are > not very good paleoecologists, and look at the world as static, leading > to their misinterpretation of glaciation versus earthworm presence. > > Lee > > Joseph Zorzin wrote: > > Lee, to what extent is the lack of many native species due to a > > slow rebound from the end of last glaciation? > > Joe > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:* Lee Frelich <mailto:[email protected]> > > *To:* [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > *Sent:* Friday, August 07, 2009 9:59 AM > > *Subject:* [ENTS] Re: earthworms and invasive plants > > > > > > Joe > > > > Most of the earthworms you see at your latitude are European species, > > The nightcrawler (Lumbricus terrestris), leaf worm (L. rubellus), > > angleworms (several species of Aporrectodea and Octolasion), and > > small > > litter worm (Dendrobaena octeadra) are common European species > > from the > > Great Lakes through most of New England. You may also have some > > Asian > > worms (Amynthas species). > > > > Native earthworms are not very abundant in MA. They have a spotty > > distribution and include the genera Eisenoides and the aquatic > > Sparganophilus. > > > > I noticed a report that you also have the introduced earthworm > > predator, > > a flatworm named Bipalium adventitium. We don't know much about > > it, or > > whether it might control invasive earthworm populations, but it > > recently > > reached the Midwest as well. Its basically a small version of the > > creature from the movie "Aliens". It squirts an earthworm with > > acid/digestive juices and the earthworm dissolves, and the > > flatworm suck > > up the resulting dissolved proteins. Good thing its only 2 inches > > long. > > > > Lee > > > > Joseph Zorzin wrote: > > > Lee, which earthworms that we have in the east are not native? Does > > > that include the common earthworm that is found in the NE? > > > Joe > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > *From:* Lee Frelich <mailto:[email protected]> > > > *To:* [email protected] > > <mailto:[email protected]> > > <mailto:[email protected]> > > > *Sent:* Friday, August 07, 2009 9:04 AM > > > *Subject:* [ENTS] Re: earthworms and invasive plants > > > > > > > > > Russ: > > > > > > Thanks--I was aware that the article was going to be published > > > because I > > > was one of the peer reviewers. I downloaded a pdf of it and will > > > send to > > > your e-mail address. > > > > > > We have known that invasive plants are facilitated by earthworms > > > for a > > > few years, but it is difficult field work to do to prove it. I > > > suspect > > > there will be several more papers on this topic in the next few > > > years. > > > In this case, the study shows that European earthworms > > facilitate > > > invasion of Japanese stiltgrass, barberry and garlic mustard. I > > > suspect > > > the worms also facilitate buckthorn and tatarian honeysuckle. > > > > > > Lee > > > > > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > <mailto:[email protected]> wrote: > > > > ENTS....Lee: > > > > > > > > This is a link to a study of earthworms and invasive plants. > > > > > > > > I don't want to pay the $59 to read the entire article but > > > someone in > > > > the list might even subscribe to the publication it is > > printed in. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/cbi/2009/00000023/00000004/art00029 > > > > > > > > Russ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Express your personality in color! 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