Beth: Sam James is an expert on earthworm taxonomy, distribution and ecology. He lives in Iowa and works at the Kansas University Natural History Museum, so not too far from where you are.
To tell the native worms (probably species of Diplocardia in your case) from European worms, you have to look at them under a microscope and do things such as count the number of segments from the mouth to the clitellum, while consulting a key. After doing this for a few months you can tell the species from each other in the field. It is easy however, to identify the most common non-native--the nightcrawler. It is pigmented, six inches or more long, and makes middens composed of a mixture of castings and midribs of leaves that it has eaten around its burrow. If you have bare soil in the forest, you probably have this species. Lee Beth Koebel wrote: > Lee, > > How would some one with little knowledge on worms be able to tell the > difference between our native earthworms vs European earthworms? I am > curious as I live close to the edge of where bush honeysuckle and > garlic mustard grows (closer to St. Louis) and doesn't(closer to the > heart of the Ozarks). > > Maybe someone is already studing the earthworms around this area but I > do't know. > > Beth > > Trees are the answer.--bumper sticker from Illinois Forest Association > > --- On *Fri, 8/7/09, Lee Frelich /<[email protected]>/* wrote: > > > From: Lee Frelich <[email protected]> > Subject: [ENTS] Re: earthworms and invasive plants > To: [email protected] > Date: Friday, August 7, 2009, 8:04 AM > > > 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] > <http://us.mc824.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[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 > > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
