Earthworms as an Ecosystem Engineers in Urban Landscape

Author: Akhila A. and Keshamma E.

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Abstract

The preservation of healthy soil is essential to the existence of the global ecosystem. Earthworms are an important soil taxon as ecosystem engineers, providing a variety of crucial ecosystem functions and services. Even though the majority of earthworms reside at or below the soil's surface, other factors can affect their habitat selection. Climate and vegetation are two important factors. In general, earthworms don't thrive in extremely cold or dry environments. The native forests and tussock grasslands are home to earthworms, while introduced species are more frequently found in cultivated soils like pasture, cropland, and lawns. The position of the species within its habitat, or niche, is a more precise way to describe where earthworms live. The geographic range and ecological function that make up a species' niche are both important. Earthworms take advantage of conditions that are most favorable to their survival by occupying a particular niche. Although all earthworms have common characteristics, features like size, pigmentation (skin colour) and quickness of movement reflect which niche different species occupy. Soil-dwelling earthworms fall into three main niche groupings: compost and soil-surface dwellers (epigeic), top-soil dwellers (endogeic) and deep-burrowing subsoil dwellers (anecic). Engineered soils provide numerous ecosystem services in urban landscapes, such as water regulation and plant growth. They are constructed to optimize soil physicochemical properties but their biological properties are given little consideration. In particular, earthworm communities may be highly impacted by soil engineering processes and soil isolation caused by asphalted surfaces separating soils, and in particular roadside soils, from pseudo-natural soils. Engineering processes define the soil's ability to host earthworms, and soil isolation defines soil ability to be colonized from nearby environments. Considering the contribution of earthworms to the provision of ecosystem services, both soil engineering and soil isolation should be taken into account to optimize their development in landscapes.

Keywords

Earthworm, Landscaping, Ecosystem, Soil engineering, Bioindicator

Conclusion

The presence of earthworms in the soil reveals a lot about the condition of the soil. One of the most significant detritivores, these ecosystem engineers control soil fertility and plant growth directly through their activity. They have the potential to function as bioindicators of soil health in addition to changing the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil.

References

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How to cite this article

Akhila A. and Keshamma E. (2023). Earthworms as an Ecosystem Engineers in Urban Landscape. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(5a): 574-579.