What role do earthworms play in the ecosystem?
Earthworms can play a variety of important roles in ecosystems. Their feeding and burrowing activities incorporate organic residues and amendments into the soil, enhancing decomposition, humus formation, nutrient cycling, and soil structural development (Mackay and Kladivko, 1985; Kladivko et al., 1986).
What is role of earthworm in agriculture?
Earthworms have the ability to eat and mix large amount of soil and organic matter and deposit it in the form of casts. They also enhance incorporation and decomposition of organic matter, increase soil aggregate stability, improve porosity and water infiltration, and increase microbial activity.
What role do earthworms play in the food chain?
Worms are part of a special group of species that eat dead or decaying organic matter. They are called decomposers. Decomposers are very important in our food chain, because they recycle the energy, and help us to start all over again!
What are worm poops called?
Worm castings are an organic form of fertilizer produced from earthworms. Also known as vermicast, worm castings manure is essentially earthworm waste, otherwise known as worm poo.
What is the role of worms bacteria and food web?
Decomposers are organisms (mostly bacteria and fungi) that break down dead plants and animals, eventually turning them into nutrients that will be added to soil. These nutrients are very important to continue the cycle in the ecosystem. Slugs, earthworms, millipedes, and centipedes also help break down dead things.
How does earthworm help the soil?
Perhaps no other living organism in the soil is as important as an earthworm in helping to increase soil health. Earthworms increase soil aeration, infiltration, structure, nutrient cycling, water movement, and plant growth. Earthworms are one of the major decomposers of organic matter.
