Kind of off topic:
Aren't earthworms good for soil and gardens?
It depends. Earthworms create a soil of a certain consistency. For soils
that are compacted due to heavy use by agriculture and urbanization, for
example, earthworm tunnels can create "macro-pores" to aid the movement
of water through the soil. They also help incorporate organic matter
into the mineral soil to make more nutrients available to plants.
However, in agricultural settings earthworms can also have harmful
effects. For instance, their castings (worm excrement) can increase
erosion along irrigation ditches. In the urban setting, earthworm
burrows can cause lumpy lawns.
Relative to simplified ecosystems such as agricultural and
urban/suburban soils, earthworm-free hardwood forests in Minnesota have
a naturally loose soil with a thick duff layer. Most of our native
hardwood forest tree seedlings, wildflowers, and ferns grow best in
these conditions. However, when earthworms invade they actually increase
the compaction of hardwood forest soils. Compaction decreases water
infiltration. Less infiltration combined with the removal of the duff
and fallen tree leaves results in increased surface runoff and erosion.
<http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/earthworms/index.html>
Jeff
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