Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Pete Vukovich <pvukovic1@yahoo.com>]

As far as I know there are only one or two native species of earthworm. Most are considered 'naturalized' , but not native. I'm not sure they have the same impact in every condition and soil they're found in here though. I think the worry here is forest soils, maybe inceptisols and ultisols I don't know, are more easily altered by worm activity than soils like mollisols. It certainly seems like its worth paying attention to and thinking about since they're here to stay, don't move to quickly, and are part of the food chain with some beneficial qualities.

http://soils.usda.gov/SQI/concepts/soil_biology/earthworms.html



--- On Fri, 11/27/09, Smittyctz6 <cityhomesteader@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Smittyctz6 <cityhomesteader@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] INVASIVE EARTHWORMS!!!!
To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Friday, November 27, 2009, 11:32 AM

Kinda Nuts.. Red worms AKA manure worms are pretty common here in CT and I am pretty sure Native

On Fri, Nov 27, 2009 at 9:44 AM, Terry Wereb <frostedacres@gmail.com> wrote:

Forgot to bring it back with me for more in-depth reading-- BUT--
 If anyone has acces to the current copy of "Leaves"-- the newsletter that Holden Arboretum publishes and sends to members- there is a very interesting article on INVASIVE SPECIES of earthworms, and how they can be detrimental to an ecosystem. The "red, composting worm" was mentioned, and it was suggested that people FREEZE their compost for about a month before using it in order to destroy the worms and their eggs before using the compost.

 Some of the damage caused by the worms were listed as water flow, moisture retention, changes in seed banks and mycorhizial (sp?) populations. There was also the competition against and resulting decimation of the local worm species. it seems some of these "asian" worms have been found on 3 of the wooded/forested properties that Holden controls...

 I will try to remember to bring back the article next trip into town, so I can provide the scientific name of a couple of these little boogers...

Terry W
Frosted acres

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