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The Effects of Toxic Chemicals on Earthworms

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Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

Part of the book series: Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology ((RECT,volume 125))

Abstract

Earthworms are probably the most important members of the soil biota. Although they are not numerically dominant in soils, their large size makes them one of the major contributors to total biomass, and their activities are such that they are extremely important in maintaining soil fertility in a variety of ways. Aristotle was the first to draw attention to their role in turning over the soil and he aptly called them “the intestines of the earth.” However, it was not until the late 1800s that Charles Darwin (1881), in his definitive work, “The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms,” defined the extreme importance of earthworms in breakdown of dead plant and animal matter that reaches soil and in the continued maintenance of soil structure, aeration, drainage, and fertility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Patrick J. Bohlen

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  1. Clive A. Edwards
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  2. Patrick J. Bohlen
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  1. College of Agriculture, University of Arizona, 85721, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    George W. Ware

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© 1992 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Edwards, C.A., Bohlen, P.J. (1992). The Effects of Toxic Chemicals on Earthworms. In: Ware, G.W. (eds) Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, vol 125. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2890-5_2

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