Let’s worm our way into earthworms’ life

Foreword by Marc-André Sélosse

Preface

1. The History of Earthworms and Geodrilology

A Distinctly Aquatic Origin

Traces of Ice and Forgotten Refuges

Taxonomy: A Necessary Classification

Earthworms: From Underground Pests to Valuable Allies

Geodrilologists: Those Who Listen to the Earth Come Alive

2. Organisms Adapted to Life in the Soil

A Low-Key Anatomy, Tailored for Underground Life

A Simple Yet Resilient Physiology

The Diet of Earthworms

How Do Earthworms Perceive Their Environment?

Strong Defensive and Regenerative Abilities

Diverse and often misunderstood reproduction

Mucus: more than just a lubricant

Born to dig

Limited but adapted cognitive abilities

Are they all the same?

3. An Ecology That Is Still Poorly Understood

Moving Around and Colonizing Habitats

Strong Relationships Between Plants and Earthworms

At the Heart of a Complex Network of Interactions in the Soil

Effects on Ecosystem Functioning

Classifications Evolving Toward Greater Functionality

4. Observing and studying earthworms

Collecting and counting: the daily routine of a geodrilologist

Identifying earthworms

Simplifying to gain understanding

Photo Album

Some Iconic Earthworms

Some Unusual Characteristics

The Art of Earthworm Farming

Tracking an Earthworm Through the Soil and Its Environment

The Future: Seeing and Hearing Earthworms in the Soil

5. From Viewing Soil as Inert to Agroecology

A Recent Shift in Perspective

Earthworms, Yield, and Plant Health

Organic Matter and Fertilization

Infiltration and Erosion: A Real Role, but One Not to Be Overestimated

Tillage and Soil Compaction

Pesticides: The Great Fear, Sometimes Exaggerated

Earthworm Abundance in Major Crop Types

Earthworms and Agriculture: A Focus Already Well-Established...

Earthworms and Agronomy: A Logical and Natural Alliance

6. Earthworms: Threatened and Sometimes Threatening?

Will Exotic Flatworms Decimate Earthworms in France?

Are earthworms in decline?

Could worms be potential accelerators of climate change?

Can we already measure the effects of climate change on French earthworms?

Conclusion

Further reading

Image credits