Earthworms — the engineers of the soil

Exploring earthworm diversity and habitats

With the exception of polar regions and deserts, earthworms can be found in most soils (Orgiazzi et al., 2016).

• Diversity: Although more than 7,000 species are known worldwide (Orgiazzi et al., 2016), only about 450-500 species are found in Europe (Rota & de Jong, 2015). In European croplands, species richness is severely constrained by agricultural management, typically supporting only 2 to 5 species per field (Rutgers et al., 2016).
• Habitat: Earthworms prefer medium-textured soils such as loams and sandy loams (Blouin et al., 2013; Betancur-Corredor et al., 2024). Heavy clay and dry sandy soils are unfavourable (Betancur-Corredor et al., 2024). In acidic soils, only specialised species are present (for example in peatlands) (Orgiazzi et al., 2016).