Researchers documented the presence of scores of nonnative earthworm species across the continent, calling them a "serious threat" to biodiversity because of their role as "ecosystem engineers."
Overall, the researchers pinpointed 70 unique species of alien earthworm, the majority of which originate from Europe and Asia. The environmental changes wreaked by the new arrivals vary, from taking over areas with few native earthworms to spurring changes in the plant composition of forests and other areas.
#nonnative-earthworms #biodiversity-threat #ecosystem-engineers #north-america #environmental-impact
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