Earthworms: Invasive species have spread to almost all parts of North America
Invasive worms, considered a major threat to native ecosystems, have been found in 97 per cent of areas for which there are records in North America
Environment
4 July 2022
Twelve of the 13 most widespread earthworm species in North America are alien Cody White/EyeEm/Getty Images Source: EyeEm Copyright: Cody White/EyeEm/Getty Images
As North Americans have busied themselves about their various concerns, unseen invaders have slowly been amassing beneath their feet. There are now more alien species than native species of earthworms in most places on the continent, a study has found.
“Our results reveal that the entire continent is being invaded by non-native earthworms through a variety of pathways,” Jérôme Mathieu at the Sorbonne University in Paris and his colleagues write. “These aliens… represent a major …