European earthworms decrease species diversity in North America
Tuesday, September 6, 2016 - 09:21
in Biology & Nature
European earthworms are responsible for the decline in species diversity in North American Forests. Scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Leipzig University, together with colleagues from the United States and Canada have now been able to demonstrate this pattern for the first time. The introduced worms are invading the forests of North America. With dire consequences, as the researchers have reported in the journal Global Change Biology, because the vegetation on the forest floor has changed dramatically: The species diversity of native plants is declining, yet the amount of non-native (exotic) plants is increasing, and so is the amount of grasses.
