Why earthworms are so important 1

Earthworms are gross and weird, but totally necessary for the very survival of the ecosystem.

That’s the conclusion of scientists dating all the way back to Charles Darwin.

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Don’t be distracted by cuddlier animals when you worry about ecological conservation, Dr Sarah Johnson believes we need to start appreciating the worm.

Researcher in environmental science at King’s College London, Dr Johnson has made her case clear.

Writing a detailed defence of the earthworm, the scientist makes clear in The Independent that the animals are a keystone species that protects our soil.

Why earthworms are so important 2
Compost can be improved by worms (Picture: Andia/UIG via Getty Images)

She said: ‘Without earthworms in our soils, life could vanish pretty quickly. We would have less food, more pollution, and more flooding.’

Spending 39 years of his life on the species, Darwin knew the importance of these animals and today modern scientists agree with him.

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Earthworms, which don’t turn into two if you cut them up by the way, loosen up soil and allow water to drain away.

By doing this it also pushes nutrients up to the top making the soil fertile.

And it’s not just the fertile produce grown as a consequence of earthworms.

FILE - In this April 3, 2014 file photo giant machines dig for brown coal at the open-cast mining Garzweiler in front of a smoking power plant near the city of Grevenbroich in western Germany. The world is nowhere near on track to achieve the ambitious temperature goals adopted in the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change, the U.N. said Thursday Nov. 3, 2016, warning of a worldwide human tragedy unless governments step up efforts to fight global warming. ø (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
Worms can even return damaged earth into quality soil (Picture: AP)

It’s also the juicy bodies themselves, the species are gobbled up by birds and even badgers.

You want more cute birds and badgers then you better start to love worms.

Worm ‘cast’, or what comes out the other end of an earthworm, is jam packed with beneficial nutrients for plants.

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And all that means that when humans have totally ruined a piece of land, worms can help the fightback.

Dr Johnson points out: ‘Research suggests that earthworms could help to clean up land contaminated with toxic heavy metals such as lead.’

So spare a thought for the worm next time you recoil in the garden – you’re literally dependent on them.

 

Tags: #earth, #earthworms, #environmental, #fertilizer, #getgreengetgrowing, #gngagritech, #greenstories, #nutrients, #soil, #worms