[BCNnet] Calling all oligochaetologists!
judymellin
judymellin@netzero.net
Mon, 1 Mar 2004 18:39:33 -0800
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Yes, I didn't know that word, either, until I read The Earth Moved: On =
the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms by Amy Stewart (Algonquin =
Books of Chapel Hill, 2004). Yes, it is the name of earthworm =
scientists and Stewart's highly readable book highlights the scientists =
and their subjects.
Stewart readily admits that she is not a scientist (she lives in =
northern California with her husband, two cats and several thousand =
earthworms, according to the book jacket. She is the garden columnist =
and book critic for North Coast Journal with articles appearing in =
Organic Gardening, Bird Watcher's Digest and the San Francisco =
Chronicle). While this may not be the book for those looking for deep =
reading (no pun intended!), I think most will find the book educational =
and fun. It probably will tell you more than you ever wanted to know, =
including earthworm reproduction which I will leave to your imagination =
(it isn't pretty)!
She relies heavily on Darwin and his last book, The formation of =
Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms, with Observations of their =
Habits (1881). It seems that he devoted the end of his life exploring =
his back yard after age made his world-wide ramblings no longer =
possible. One biographer wrote that Darwin "became in the end what he =
had been in his heart, almost a part of nature himself, a man with time =
to lean on a spade and think, a gardener."
Stewart does acknowledge that the earthworm is not indigenous to North =
America and spends considerable time discussing the work of Sam James, =
one of the world's leading earthworm taxonomists, who attributes much of =
the distribution of earthworms around the world to continental drift. =
She also shows how the earthworm moved from Europe and Asia in the roots =
of transplants, the ballast of ships and the wheels of wagons.
While many of us complain that so little is known about birds, plants =
and insects, imagine how the worm folks feel with thousands of specimens =
to be sorted and classified! It is not a Saturday morning activity. =
Many worms live so deeply in the soil that they may never be observed by =
humans. =20
While many think that earthworms are wonderful to aerate and fertilize =
soil, which, for the most part, they are, there can be problems. There =
is an interesting chapter on the effects of earthworms on a hardwood =
forest in Minnesota that could have some bearing on other areas. She =
describes how "the understory was dying. Ferns were disappearing, =
wildflowers had all but vanished and young tree seedlings could not take =
root. Forestry experts couldn't figure out what was happening but they =
knew the understory could not survive without this critical understory =
of small plants." =20
It turned out that earthworms were consuming the entire leaf fall of the =
forest in a single season. Seeds and tree seedlings that need the =
organic matter in the duff cannot germinate on a bare forest floor. =
According to the folks studying this area, 80-90% of all understory =
plants were lost in the areas where they were finding the most =
earthworms. "They just expand their population to fit the available =
food source. They multiply until there are enough of them to eat all =
the leaf litter on the soil's surface." So maybe the damage that was =
blamed on wild turkeys could have had another cause?=20
This is a book that will cause we to look at the obvious a bit =
differently. It is a small book but worth the time.
Judy Mellin
Bird Monitor
Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards
Hoffman Estates (Cook County)
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<DIV>
<DIV>Yes, I didn't know that word, either, until I read The Earth =
Moved: =20
On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms by Amy Stewart (Algonquin =
Books of=20
Chapel Hill, 2004). Yes, it is the name of earthworm scientists =
and=20
Stewart's highly readable book highlights the scientists and their=20
subjects.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Stewart readily admits that she is not a scientist (she lives in =
northern=20
California with her husband, two cats and several thousand earthworms, =
according=20
to the book jacket. She is the garden columnist and book critic =
for North=20
Coast Journal with articles appearing in Organic Gardening, Bird =
Watcher's=20
Digest and the San Francisco Chronicle). While this may not be the =
book=20
for those looking for deep reading (no pun intended!), I think most will =
find=20
the book educational and fun. It probably will tell you more than =
you ever=20
wanted to know, including earthworm reproduction which I will leave to =
your=20
imagination (it isn't pretty)!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>She relies heavily on Darwin and his last book, The formation of =
Vegetable=20
Mould, through the Action of Worms, with Observations of their Habits=20
(1881). It seems that he devoted the end of his life exploring his =
back=20
yard after age made his world-wide ramblings no longer possible. =
One=20
biographer wrote that Darwin "became in the end what he had been in =
his=20
heart, almost a part of nature himself, a man with time to lean on a =
spade and=20
think, a gardener."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Stewart does acknowledge that the earthworm is not indigenous to =
North=20
America and spends considerable time discussing the work of Sam James, =
one of=20
the world's leading earthworm taxonomists, who attributes much of =
the=20
distribution of earthworms around the world to continental drift. =
She also=20
shows how the earthworm moved from Europe and Asia in the roots of =
transplants,=20
the ballast of ships and the wheels of wagons.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>While many of us complain that so little is known about birds, =
plants and=20
insects, imagine how the worm folks feel with thousands of specimens to =
be=20
sorted and classified! It is not a Saturday morning =
activity. Many=20
worms live so deeply in the soil that they may never be observed by=20
humans. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>While many think that earthworms are wonderful to aerate and =
fertilize=20
soil, which, for the most part, they are, there can be problems. =
There is=20
an interesting chapter on the effects of earthworms on a hardwood forest =
in=20
Minnesota that could have some bearing on other areas. She =
describes how=20
"the understory was dying. Ferns were disappearing, wildflowers =
had all=20
but vanished and young tree seedlings could not take root. =
Forestry=20
experts couldn't figure out what was happening but they knew the =
understory=20
could not survive without this critical understory of small =
plants." =20
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It turned out that earthworms were consuming the entire leaf fall =
of the=20
forest in a single season. Seeds and tree seedlings that need the =
organic=20
matter in the duff cannot germinate on a bare forest floor. =
According=20
to the folks studying this area, 80-90% of all understory plants were =
lost in=20
the areas where they were finding the most earthworms. "They just =
expand=20
their population to fit the available food source. They multiply =
until=20
there are enough of them to eat all the leaf litter on the soil's=20
surface." So maybe the damage that was blamed on wild turkeys could =
have=20
had another cause? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This is a book that will cause we to look at the obvious a bit=20
differently. It is a small book but worth the time.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Judy Mellin</DIV>
<DIV>Bird Monitor</DIV>
<DIV>Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards</DIV>
<DIV>Hoffman Estates (Cook County)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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