Biology of Earthworms

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiv

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2. Antimicrobial Vermipeptides: From Methods to Characteristics

   • Sun Zhenjun

   Pages 1-17

3. Optimizing Earthworm Sampling in Ecosystems

   • Jan Valckx, Gerard Govers, Martin Hermy, Bart Muys

   Pages 19-38

4. Earthworms and Soil Structure

   • Yasemin Kavdir, Remzi İlay

   Pages 39-50

5. Comparative Anatomy of the Calciferous Gland of Lumbricid Earthworms

   • María Jesús Iglesias Briones, Trevor George Piearce

   Pages 51-67

6. Reproduction of Earthworms: Sexual Selection and Parthenogenesis

   • Darío J. Díaz Cosín, Marta Novo, Rosa Fernández

   Pages 69-86

7. The Earthworm Inoculation Unit Technique: Development and Use in Soil Improvement Over Two Decades

   • Kevin Richard Butt

   Pages 87-105

8. Controlled Cultivation of Endogeic and Anecic Earthworms

   • Kevin Richard Butt, Christopher Nathan Lowe

   Pages 107-121

9. The Meek Shall Inherit the Burrow: Feedback in Earthworm Soil Modification

   • Visa Nuutinen

   Pages 123-140

10. Earthworm Interactions with Soil Enzymes

    • Ridvan Kizilkaya, Ayten Karaca, Oguz Can Turgay, Sema Camci Cetin

    Pages 141-158

11. The Impact of Cultivation Techniques on Earthworm Populations

    • Avril Rothwell, Keith Chaney, Pat Haydock

    Pages 159-172

12. Assessing the Role of Earthworms in Biocontrol of Soil-Borne Plant Fungal Diseases

    • Mukesh K. Meghvansi, Lokendra Singh, Ravi B. Srivastava, Ajit Varma

    Pages 173-189

13. The Use of Vermicompost Products to Control Plant Diseases and Pests

    • Yurdagul Simsek-Ersahin

    Pages 191-213

14. Vermicompost as a Biological Soil Amendment

    • J. Tajbakhsh, E. Mohammadi Goltapeh, Ajit Varma

    Pages 215-228

15. Earthworm Innate Immune System

    • Péter Engelmann, Edwin L. Cooper, Balázs Opper, Péter Németh

    Pages 229-245

16. Earthworms: A Potent Herbal Target for TCM (CAM) Research

    • Yung-Ming Chang, Wei-Yi Chi, Edwin L. Cooper, Wei-Wen Kuo, Chih-Yang Huang

    Pages 247-260

17. Earthworms as Bioindicators of Soil Quality

    • Heinz-Christian Fründ, Ulfert Graefe, Sabine Tischer

    Pages 261-278

18. Application of Molecular Genetics to Earthworm Ecology: Current Research and Promising Future Directions

    • F. Lazrek, T. P. Velavan, J. Mathieu, L. Dupont

    Pages 279-297

19. Population Dynamics of Earthworms in Organic Farming Systems

    • James B. Kotcon

    Pages 299-310

20. Back Matter

    Pages 311-316

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Earthworms, which belong to the order Oligochaeta, comprise roughly 3,000 species grouped into five families. Earthworms have been called ‘ecosystem engineers’; much like human engineers, they change the structure of their environments. Earthworms are very versatile and are found in nearly all terrestrial ecosystems. They play an important role in forest and agricultural ecosystems. This Soil Biology volume describes the various facets of earthworms, such as their role in soil improvement, soil structure, and the biocontrol of soil-borne plant fungal diseases. Reviews discuss earthworms’ innate immune system, molecular markers to address various issues of earthworm ecology, earthworm population dynamics, and the influences of organic farming systems and tillage. Further topics include the characteristics of vermicompost, relationships between soil earthworms and enzymes, the role of spermathecae, copulatory behavior, and adjustment of the donated sperm volume.

• Decomposition
• Humification
• Oligochaeta
• Soil dwelling
• Soil food web
• Model invertebrates

• Fac. Agriculture, Dept. Soil Science, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

  Ayten Karaca

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