Tuesday 25 August 2020

Worm Holes in the Arctic

 


 Earthworms have hitched a ride with humans to the Arctic regions -that's how most 'aliens' travel (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/25/the-aliens-to-watch-how-the-humble-earthworm-is-altering-the-arctic-aoe). There are concerns that the activities of these common annelids (eating the soil and breaking down the contained organic matter) will make the soil 'too fertile'. This would change the region's flora and fauna, reducing the storage of accumulated plant waste in the tundra. It used to be thought that the Arctic was too cold for typical decomposers such as fungi to operate. May be it was an absence of Earthworms. Having said that, more carbon is likely to be liberated into the atmosphere by these actions, accelerating global warming.

No comments:

Avian 'Flu Flying In?

People get zoonotic diseases from other animals. There are, consequently, concerns, when a virus increases its range of hosts. This is esp...