Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 1:
Ecological categories and niches of earthworms and their characteristic features
and beneficial traits
Species
Ecological
category
Ecological niche
Characteristic
features
Beneficial trait
Eisenia foetida,
Epigeics
Superficial soil
layers, leaf litter,
compost
Smaller in size,
body uniformly
pigmented, active
gizzard, short life
cycle, high repro-
duction rate and
regeneration, toler-
ant to disturbance,
phytophagous
Efficient bio-
degraders and
nutrient releasers,
efficient compost
producers, aids in
litter comminu-
tion and early
decomposition
Lumbricus
rubellus,
L. castaneus,
L. festivus,
Eiseniella
tetraedra,
Bimastus minus-
culus,
B. eiseni,
Dendrodrilus
rubidus,
Dendrobaena
veneta,
D. octaedra
Aporrectodea
caliginosa,
Endogeics
Topsoil or
subsoil
Small to large sized
worms, weakly
pigmented, life cycle
of medium duration,
moderately tolerant
to disturbance,
geophagous
Brings about pro-
nounced changes
in soil physical
structure, can
efficiently utilize
energy from poor
soils hence can
be used for soil
improvements
A. trapezoides,
A. rosea,
Millsonia
anomala,
