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The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms

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Even if you aren't a gardener, you probably know that if soil has plenty of earthworms, it is healthy soil. People didn't always know this. It used to be thought that earthworms were parasites, eating at the roots of plants gardeners wanted to flourish. Chief among the instructors that made gardeners change their minds about the humble earthworm was none other than Charles Darwin, who was fascinated by the creatures, experimented on their abilities, and wrote his final book, _The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through the Action of Worms, With Observations on Their Habits_, in 1881. Darwin's work, and especially his curiosity and his enthusiasm for what worms do for us, run through all the chapters of _The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms_ (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill) by Amy Stewart. It is always good to be reminded of just how much natural history Darwin taught us in yet another field, rather than merely his overarching Theory of Evolution, but as Stewart shows, there are now microscopic and ecological investigations that Darwin could not have dreamed of, all of which convince her (and she will convince any reader) that the humble earthworm is a soil engineer that has made our world the way it is today.

Earthworms till the soil more intimately than any plough. By burrowing, they provide aeration. Earthworm manure (called castings) is highly valued by gardeners, and is even a cash crop for those who raise worms on a large scale. Earthworms promote bacteria in the soil, and most soil bacteria, rather than being bad germs, are useful in such things as converting ammonium to a form of nitrogen that plants can use, and breaking down other complex molecules so roots can absorb them. All that earthworms do has just started to be investigated; they are hard to investigate, because it is hard to see what they are doing without disturbing them, even in laboratory pens. There are species almost everywhere, even in isolated islands, and many of them have yet to be named or investigated. Complete life cycle studies have been done on fewer than a dozen species. Stewart's research has led her to confer with many academic and agricultural types who share her eagerness about her lowly subject. Not all the news is good, because earthworms are not good everywhere. In northern forests, where they are not native, they have been introduced by transplanting non-native plants or by fishermen dumping their unused bait. They are busy destroying the leaf fall that ought to remain on the ground to nurture the ferns, flowers, and seedling trees. But worms do have an important role to play in organic farming, even on large scales, and they can help with the treatment of animal manure or city sewage. At least one scientist has written that in furtherance of agriculture, earthworms are responsible for the development of each of the world's great civilizations.

Stewart herself does little experiments on her worms, from the same admirable sense of curiosity Darwin showed, but she is a gardener rather than a scientist. She knows just how Darwin felt, though, describing her own worms as "companionable creatures - clean, quiet, and hardworking," and from time to time, she brings some up from her own worm compost bin to her study, just to keep her company: "A pot of earthworms on the desk is a pleasant distraction." She has many remarks on her compost bin, into which go all her vegetable food scraps, and newspaper, and out of which come worm castings for her garden. She has a useful appendix to tell how to get going on worm composting yourself, and surely plenty of readers of this happy and informative book will do just that. Even those who don't go that far will have a renewed appreciation for earthworms and for the scientists who have probed the way they make the soil that sustains us.

This book is receiving raves across the country for good reason. First it is possessed of an undeniable charm in the writers voice that makes you smile along with her both at natures eccentricities and her marvels; second there is a wholeness to the book that makes earthworms relevant to their broader context in the way of an accomplished naturalist; and third it possesses a clarity of thought and simplicity of delivery that gives it the kind of elegance that all great writers strive to achieve. This book will grow because it takes a seemingly lowly subject and spins a tail of greatness. Charles Darwin an icon of modern science was fascinated with earthworms and you will be similarly engaged, (even if like me you're an ordinary Joe operating on a much more basic level) after you have read this wonderful book. Join a host of thinking people across this country, stretch your mind, learn something, and read this treasure of American non-fiction literature.

Amy Stewart has written a spellbinding treatise on EARTHWORMS!
She couples fascinating facts ("one plant in Korea processes eighty tons of sludge every day in a giant earthworm reactor.")with historical research (Charles Darwin's last book was on earthworms) to create an astonishing tribute to one of our most overlooked allies. Ms. Stewart does this with succulent prose that is a joy to read. I've ordered my worms after reading this surprising book, and hope that they enjoy Alaska...

This book is lovely, and the author's enthusiasm shines through! A must read!

Earthworms are common creatures of soil, compost and leaf litter. Fisherman often use them for bait and gardeners often raise them for their ability to break down compost into usable fertilized soil. Darwin studied these humble creatures and published his last book on them. Although he did not have knowledge that we have of the microorganisms that share the soil with earthworms, and only a minimal understanding of springtails, mites, sowbugs, etc.,which share the earthworm's habitat, he laid the groundwork for at least a smattering of knowledge on these simple, but very strange organisms.

In "The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms" Amy Stewart explores this shadowy realm of soil- a habitat at once close at hand and yet in many ways more remote to us than the sea. In a very well-written 200 plus pages she lays before the reader both the known facts and the multidinous mysteries of earthworms. She points out that the very classification of earthworms is far behind that of almost any other creatures on the planet, at least partly because of a lack of researchers in the field (a fact also noted by David Ehrenfeld in his essay "Forgetting", first published in Orion magazine.) There are thus few specialists to document the effects of the invasion of exotic worms into North America (primarily through their use as fish bait.) This invasion has wrought considerable change and in some cases almost certain damage to the native species and habitats. While earthworms can be very important in the formation and aeration of soil, if imported into areas where there were no earthworms (such as the areas of the Great Lakes once covered by vast ice sheets) they become major destroyers of the forest ecosystem. We cannot even tell for certain what species existed in areas that had earthworms before the invasion of the exotic species. Indeed, some species may have already become extinct, such as the giant earthworm once found in Oregon. Beside this, numerous species have never been even described and may not ever be known before they also vanish! It almost does not have to be added that only a few species' life histories are known and that the ecological interactions of native species are basically unknown.

All this, and quite a bit more, has been documented by Amy Stewart in her book. While I found a few irritating typos (mites, spiders, scorpions, sowbugs and millipedes are not insects!) generally she is accurate in her statements and the book flows well. I recommend this book to gardeners, naturalists, and anyone who is curious about the fascinating (and very important) life under our feet.

What a delightful little book this is! Not long, not full of science-speak, and very earthy, I found myself anxious to get into my garden to inspect my own worms while reading it. Ms. Stewart is "one of us," not a scientist but a gardener who was curious about the worms she found in her backyard and pursued that curiosity to all our benefit. I can't say it has altered the way I think about worms and gardening, but it has expanded it. The basic idea presented throughout, a concept of Darwin's, is that the repetition of incremental change over long periods of time can and has brought about drastic change in the way the earth and its many species function (think evolution). The expanse of this idea is mind boggling when you stop to think that worms may be responsible for leveling mountains. And yet Ms. Stewart presents the evidence in a compelling and interesting way that this is pretty much what they do. If you've also heard that worms are ecological disasters, she explores that as well, visiting Minnesota where European worms are completely altering the balance of native forests. I think most of us will walk away from having read this book with at least a little awe at the purpose of something we scarcely ponder. The only thing missing, in my view, is some pictures. There are none save the cover art. I think that, considering the nature of the book, some photos of the various species she discusses and/or the effects of worms in the garden, forest, or worm bin would enhance the reading experience. As it was, however, it is a charming book deserving of a place on any gardening enthusiasts bookshelf, and the bookshelves of any who have some interest in biological or ecological science (and even waste management!).

_The Earth Moved_ by Amy Stewart is one of those somewhat quirky non-fiction books I am fond of, a book that perhaps given its subject matter might not sound immensely attractive reading material but turns out to be very engaging and quite informative. In this case this book is about the earthworm.

In thirteen chapters the author looked at some of the most famous members of class Oligochaeta, terrestrial worms long familiar to farmers, gardeners, and fishermen, their biology, history with humanity, those whose lives they affect, and their future relationship with us.

The reader learns early on that one of the pioneering researchers of earthworms was the famous Charles Darwin, who spent his final years doing meticulous research on earthworms and writing a much beloved book on the subject. Before he wrote that book if worms were thought of at all they were seen as pests for messing up lawns and were thought to damage plant roots, while in the years after he published people came to embrace the enormous importance of the earthworm in producing soil and altering the landscape. Time and again Stewart would return to Darwin's research and writings on his worms. Darwin found that an acre of garden soil can contain over 50,000 earthworms and yield 18 tons of castings per year (castings are the volume of soil that earthworms swallow and eject as manure). Later findings showed that Darwin's numbers may in fact have been on the low side, as the figure might be one million (earthworms in the Nile valley can deposit up to a thousand tons of castings per acre).

Not all earthworms are alike. Some worms are grouped together and referred to as endogeic worms, species that are found fairly deep in the ground around the roots of plants and are rarely seen. Most of the ones possibly encountered by the gardener are small, grayish things but immense ones that never see the light of the day exist, such as the giant Australian earthworm _Megascolides australis_ which can grow to several feet in length (one can hear a gurgling sound deep in the earth when they move) and the two to three foot long possibly extinct giant worm of Oregon (_Driloleirus macelfreshi_). Larger burrowing worms like night crawlers are called anecic worms and live deep in the soil but may come to the surface to find food. Darwin's favorite was the night crawler _Lumbricus terrestris_ which like to form permanent vertical burrows in the soil, leaving tiny mounds of castings alongside the openings. Epigeic worms make their homes in the rotten mulch of a compost pile or in leaf litter on the forest floor, living on the surface of the ground, never deep in the soil. Two of the best known earthworms are epigeic, the "red wriggler" (_Eisenia fetida_) and the "redworm" (_Lumbricus rubellus_); either might be found at the bait stand, a worm compost bin, or a classroom science project. Overall there are over 4,500 earthworm species worldwide and include such weird species as a Philippines worm that is indigo-blue, spotted, and lives on the forest floor.

Sadly earthworm research not directly related to agriculture or waste disposal is very little funded and has virtually no public support, so many issues of taxonomy, evolutionary history, distribution, and the discovery of new species is funded on shoestring budgets or even done by amateurs who work other jobs.

Stewart had an interesting chapter on worm anatomy, discussing how they move through soil, feed, mate, and the amazing regenerative ability of many earthworms (though giant species are fragile).

I was surprised to learn that most species of earthworms that people encounter in the United States aren't native! The night crawler, the red wriggler, and another important species, the field worm (_Aporrectodea caliginosa_) among others came to America with settlers and were not found here originally. While earthworm do a great deal of good and are often fantastic for soil and plant health, they are in fact an invasive species. They displaced many native earthworm species and even disrupted habitats to such an extent to impact non-worm species. Woodlands that either never knew worm species or had native species with different habits are being several disrupted by worms that have migrated from farmer's fields or were originally dumped by fishermen (in some wilderness areas live bait is now banned). In some forests in the northern U.S. for instance the understory is dying as ferns and wildflowers vanish and new trees can't take root as the rich, damp, slowly decaying forest floor of fallen leaves (the duff) is being consumed by hungry worms, leaving the floor bare and removing the spongy duff layer many plants need to germinate. This has also caused the disappearance of other microscopic creatures like springtails, ground-dwelling birds, and even lead to soil erosion.

Worms however as a whole in the right environment are enormously beneficial. Stewart spent the last five chapters recounting of what great benefit they have been in the past and will continue to be in the future to humanity. New research for instance has shown better ways to make use of the actions and products of earthworms to not only increase crop yields and the nutritional value of those crops but to even control the destructive actions of other soil organisms and diseases (as well as new agricultural practices like "no-till" that cause less disruption to earthworms and soil ecology). Many times in the book Stewart talked about her back porch worm composting bin, how it has helped her garden and compared it to larger models that are being put to use to make fertilizer from animal waste, polluted resources, and human sewage, producing useful agricultural products while disposing of unwanted waste. Earthworms are even being used as living bio-monitors as scientists have been able to track the level of toxins in earthworm tissue, quantifying the cumulative effects of pollutants over time as well as the impact of multiple pollutants.

This is a good read! I had no interest in earthworms but saw a good review. The author has researched her subject well and makes it quite accessible to the casual reader. She held my attention with fascinating info (did you know there are different kinds of worms, specialized to deal with different kinds of "dirt"?) and her talented writing. These little critters are astonishingly important in the great scheme of things. I'm glad I learned a little of that, and I enjoyed the humor and sparkle of the writing too.

Amy really did some great research here. I like the way she laid out all the details and drew so much on Darwins' studies. I don't know much about Darwin, which will change of course, but I'm amazed at what he discovered like how the worms have the ability to bring objects underground no matter what the size, a possibility of a thought process when picking stones to cover their borrows and chosing leaves to bring into thier borrows. The part about Darwin sticking a stink beatle in his mouth when he was young is hilarious! I also am estonished to know that worms can be a draw back to an environment as well, like how their consumption of leaves on forest floor can be a disadvantage to new growth of trees and plants, something I didn't know was possible. But not alot of people do know it or think of it.
Anyway, if you compost using worms like I do, or are just curious about them, read this book. It may even answer questions you might have about them as it has for me. Example: What happens when a worm dies? How do they mate? Wanna know? Then read and enjoy!

This is a very interesting book. Most of us know something about what is beneath the oceans, but most of us know nothing about what is is beneath the earth. This book discusses the importance of earthworms, including where they should be and where they should not be. It is a book that every human being should read, now that we are, at long last, beginning to appreciate what we have left of the magnificent air, water, and earth that we inherited.

I purchased this book in the hope of finding an essay I read many years ago. I didn't find the essay. However, what I did find was an entertaining book about earthworms. The book is an easy read, filled with thought provoking facts and a new found appreciation for what these "little guys" do for all of us.