Although once thought uncommon, biologists have found that the Lumbricidae family of earthworms has over 30 species of worms that reproduce without a partner. Based in Portland, Ore. Her articles have appeared in magazines such as "Herb Companion" and "Northwest Travel" and she is the author of six books. What Are the Functions of the Septum in an Earthworm?
Life Cycle of a Centipede. Physical Adaptations of Roundworms. The Life Cycle of Thrips. Mollusk Life Cycle. Life Cycle of Leeches. The Difference Between Flatworms and Roundworms. Facts on Caterpillars. The Anatomy of the Hydra. Worms That Bite Humans.
As composters, we definitely love our worms. And if you have a healthy vermicompost bin, then you definitely know there's lots of love between the worms, too. But how exactly do our worm bins become so populous? Red wiggler worms are frequent reproducers. If conditions in the bin are ideal, each worm can produce up to 7 worm hatchlings per week. And because red wigglers are hermaphrodites, with both male and female parts, every worm in your bin has the potential to lay and fertilize eggs.
When a red wiggler worm matures, it develops a swollen band near its head called a clitellum that stores the eggs and sperm. During reproduction, two worms join at the clitellum and exchange seminal fluid. Earthworms probably feed while they are moving. They are not picky eaters as they will eat all sorts of dead things, such as decaying plant and animal matter.
They consume a great deal of matter in a short period of time — they can produce their own weight in castings worm dung every 24 hours! Earthworms are found all over the world. Australia, the Sahara Desert, Greenland and China are among only a few countries that have their own distinct indigenous species. Although several species live in various horizons layers of the soil or in the surface layer, others can be found in rotting logs, in the axils of tree branches the upper angle between the branch and the trunk, sometimes up to 10 m above ground or along the moist soil surrounding bodies of water lakes, rivers, springs, ponds.
Despite this wide variety of habitats, there are still certain environmental conditions which must be maintained for an earthworm to survive:. Too much moisture heavy rainfall , however, takes the place of the valuable oxygen dissolved in the soil also needed for survival ; this may cause the earthworms to crawl to the soil surface. Here at the soil surface, earthworms will be exposed to ultra-violet radiation sunlight which is lethal to earthworms in a short period of time.
Earthworms are light sensitive and prefer moist slightly warm soil to grow and reproduce. Since earthworms live and travel around in the soil, they form burrows as they move. Some species make deep vertical burrows. These earthworms are anecic species. Other species burrow continuously to form a network of channels — some vertical and some horizontal in the rhizosphere — and are called endogeic species.
Some earthworm species are not strong burrowers and live in the uppermost layer of soil in the litter layer. These earthworms are called epigeic species and they form shallow vertical burrows where they temporarily escape from drought, heat and disturbances. Though small, earthworms are fighters. They have developed certain survival strategies which help them cope with nasty environmental conditions.
When the weather gets cold and the soil starts to freeze, earthworms move deeper down and overwinter in a state called aestivation. To aestivate, the earthworm generates a natural antifreeze and then curls up in a little knot. Earthworms also aestivate when conditions become dry or hot.
0コメント