How do worms move in the dirt?

Introduction

Worms, particularly earthworms, exhibit fascinating and complex behaviors when moving through soil. Their movement is not only crucial for their survival but also significantly impacts soil structure and fertility. Understanding the mechanisms behind their locomotion can provide insights into soil health and inform agricultural practices.

Key Insights

Burrowing Mechanisms:
- Earthworms burrow through soil by ingesting it, breaking down organic matter, and mixing these fractions, which they then eject as casts. This process also involves bringing subsoil to the surface .
- The lugworm uses its proboscis with diverging teeth to scrape away soil particles, facilitating its burrowing activity.
Soil Structure and Stability:
- Earthworms influence soil structure by feeding, casting, and burrowing, which can either improve or reduce the stability of soil aggregates.
- The passage of soil through earthworms disrupts pre-existing microaggregates but also facilitates the formation of new aggregates stabilized by organic matter and clay linkages.
Movement in Response to Environmental Stimuli:
- Earthworms emerge from the soil in response to seismic vibrations, a behavior exploited in the practice of "worm grunting".
- Wireworms move randomly in moist sand and are sensitive to light and humidity, which influences their emergence and surface movement.
Impact of Soil Properties on Movement:
- The movement of first-instar western corn rootworms is influenced by soil bulk density and the presence of CO2, with higher bulk densities inhibiting movement.
Robotic Mimicry of Worm Movement:
- A soft, wormlike robot with Kirigami skin mimics earthworm anchoring mechanisms, showing improved locomotion and anchoring in cohesive soil due to radially expanding segments and bristle-like spikes.

Conclusion

Worms move through soil using a combination of physical and chemical mechanisms, including ingestion, burrowing, and responding to environmental stimuli. Their movement significantly impacts soil structure and fertility. Additionally, advancements in robotics have begun to mimic these natural mechanisms, potentially offering new tools for soil management and agricultural practices.

How do worms move in the dirt?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Chemistry and micromorphology of aggregation in earthworm casts

Earthworms produce and stabilize soil aggregates by disrupting pre-existing microaggregates and incorporating organic debris fragments into casts, with calcium-bonded bonds being most significant in clay-polyvalent cation-organic matter interactions.

Earthworms and soil fertility

Earthworms influence soil structure by ingestion, partial breakdown of organic matter, intimate mixing, and ejecting material as surface or sub-surface casts.

Burrowing of the Lugworm

The lugworm burrows through soil using its proboscis, similar to a "digging rabbit" with diverging teeth scraping away soil particles.

Earthworms and Soil Structure

Earthworms influence soil structure through feeding, casting, and burrowing, which can either improve or reduce soil stability and impact plant growth.

Movement of First-instar Western Corn Rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Soil

First-instar western corn rootworms exhibit more vertical movement than horizontal movement in uncompacted soils, with more movement towards the CO2 source in the presence of CO2.

Grunting for worms: seismic vibrations cause Diplocardia earthworms to emerge from the soil

Seismic vibrations caused by worm grunting in the southeastern USA cause Diplocardia earthworms to emerge from the soil, potentially escaping digging foragers or responding to falling rain.

On the Movement of Wireworms of the Genus Agriotes Esch. (Coleoptera, Elateridae) on the Surface of the Soil and Their Sensitivity to light

Wireworms can move on the surface of soil without food, but their sensitivity to light and humidity prevents their emergence into high humidity air.

Kirigami Skin Improves Soft Earthworm Robot Anchoring and Locomotion Under Cohesive Soil

The Kirigami skin-covered soft earthworm robot improves anchoring and locomotion in cohesive soil, demonstrating greater maximum drag force, forward displacement, and higher traction compared to the un-covered robot.

Earthworms and soil fertility

Earthworms improve soil fertility by redistributing organic materials, increasing soil penetrability, and influencing nutrient supply.

Earthworm activities and the soil system

Earthworms play a crucial role in soil structure, nutrient cycling, and energy and water management, influencing the functioning of the soil system.

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