Worms at Work
Vermicomposting is the process of using worms, usually red wigglers or red earthworms, to break down food waste and other organic material into a nutrient-packed soil supplement. It’s a highly effective and efficient way to compost household food and garden scraps on a small scale. Using it in your garden results in more nutrients available to plants, better soil drainage, and improved soil structure. And, as we found out when we came across this time-lapse video by graduate students Gregor Skoberne and Anže Rovanšek in Slovenia, the process looks pretty cool, too. From Rodale’s Organic Life
Bioturbation is the mixing of (plant) residues into soils and sediments by biotic activity. It is one of the fundamental processes in ecology, as it stimulates decomposition, creates habitats for other (micro) fauna and increases gas and water flow through the soil. This time lapse movie shows bioturbation by 3 earthworms species:
Lumbricus terrestris (an ’anecic’ earthworm, feeding on leaves and living in deep vertical burrows; 2 individuals present)
Lumbricus rubellus (an ’epigeic’ earthworm, feeding on leaves and living in shallow, non-permanent burrows; 2 individuals present)
Aporrectodea caliginosa (an ‘endogeic’ earthworm, feeding on decomposed organic matter and living deeper in the soil; 3 individuals present).
Poplar leaves were applied on top of the soil as food for the earthworms. Different soil layers were simulated by mixing a topsoil (rich in organic matter) with quartz sand in various ratios.
The recording lasted 1 month. This movie was made in collaboration with scientists from the Department of Soil Quality of Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
