A species of earthworm commonly referred to as a ‘jumping worm’ has made its way to North America, namely the Asian jumping worm (Amynthas agrestis), and its introduction into California’s habitats has caused concern for the ecosystem. Asian jumping worms get their name from their ability to leap as high as a foot into the air. They also have a general tendency to squirm and flail around when disturbed, which is typically when they will also jump: it is a defense mechanism they use to get away from predators. The Minnesota Department of Resources uploaded a “YouTube video about jumping worms” which shows the worms’ erratic behavior.

Besides their jumpiness, what separates jumping worms from the more common earthworms is their appearance — their clitellum (the thicker band of skin that encircles most earthworm species) is more brightly colored compared to the rest of their bodies — as well as their habitat, as jumping worms only live in the top layer of soil, while the common earthworm will live much further down.

Californians are especially worried about jumping worms because they can cause a lot of damage to the hardwood forests. Since they are such voracious eaters, the abundance of faecal pellets they produce causes the top few inches of soil to become dry pellets, which destroys its structure and leads to erosion. As such, all the plant life in the forest is negatively affected, eventually dying out, which in turn degrades the health of the entire forest. As a result of this, all the animal life in the forest are also impacted, as the habitat they once thrived in dies.

While strategies have been developed to combat their negative impact on the forests, the USDA has noted that, since they can reproduce so quickly (especially given their asexuality), it will be hard to stop them from spreading across the state and the rest of the North East. Nonetheless, there are steps we can all take to reduce their spread, which The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources takes note of in the video linked above. They recommend buying earthworm free mulch if you need to buy mulch, avoid buying jumping worms for vermi-composting or for fishing bait, and to brush off one’s shoes/boots after hiking, since their eggs can stick to one’s shoes. They also note that if one finds jumping worms, they can “report them on EDD Maps“.

To conclude, jumping worms are proving to be quite the threat to Californian hardwood forests, and experts have reasonable cause for concern. All we can do now is our best in reducing their spread, and hope that whatever other strategies are put in place prove effective enough to spare the forests from destruction.

Summary

Article Name

Asian Jumping Worms in California and the Threat They Pose to the Ecosystem

Description

A species of earthworm commonly referred to as a 'jumping worm' has made its way to North America, namely the Asian jumping worm (Amynthas agrestis), and its introduction into California's habitats has caused concern for the ecosystem. Asian jumping worms get their name from their ability to leap as high as a foot into the air. They also have a general tendency to squirm and flail around when disturbed, which is typically when they will also jump: it is a defense mechanism they use to get away from predators. The Minnesota Department of Resources uploaded a "<a href="https://youtu.be/UkreYjDEp9Q" target="_blank">YouTube video about jumping worms</a>" which shows the worms' erratic behavior.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton