Worming Through The City: A research to different factors that may influence abundance of Lumbricina within tree pits

A healthy soil life often forms the foundations for a healthy environment. In addition to this, it provides many ecosystem services such as heat reduction and flood protection. These benefits soil biodiversity provides remain relatively unknown, especially concerning urban areas. To further the knowledge of urban soil biodiversity, this research will focus on the earthworm (Lumbricina) population present within tree pits, which in this research refers to a tree pit with a bit of exposed soil within the urban environment. While surrounded by human infrastructure on all four sides, by either asphalt or tiles. The earthworm has been selected as it is an important species in the soil and their presence often can function as an indicator for the health of the soil biodiversity in that area. The sampling of earthworms (Lumbricina) will use the mustard extraction method. This allows for a comparison of abundances of earthworms in different locations, such as the size of the tree pit and...Show moreA healthy soil life often forms the foundations for a healthy environment. In addition to this, it provides many ecosystem services such as heat reduction and flood protection. These benefits soil biodiversity provides remain relatively unknown, especially concerning urban areas. To further the knowledge of urban soil biodiversity, this research will focus on the earthworm (Lumbricina) population present within tree pits, which in this research refers to a tree pit with a bit of exposed soil within the urban environment. While surrounded by human infrastructure on all four sides, by either asphalt or tiles. The earthworm has been selected as it is an important species in the soil and their presence often can function as an indicator for the health of the soil biodiversity in that area. The sampling of earthworms (Lumbricina) will use the mustard extraction method. This allows for a comparison of abundances of earthworms in different locations, such as the size of the tree pit and vegetation coverage of the tree pit. For this 15 trees were sampled daily, and each tree has been sampled 3 times. They are totalling in a database containing 45 samples. This study has found strong evidence in favour of a correlation between earthworm abundance compared to distance from a larger green area. In addition to that it found a weak relationship between an increased earthworm abundance as the size of the tree pit increases. These results line up with the island theory. The only other aspect this study found evidence for was concerning tree species present in the tree pit influencing the earthworm abundance at that tree pit. Other factors did not find any evidence to show that it might influence earthworm abundance.Show less

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Worming Through The City: A research to different factors that may influence abundance of Lumbricina within tree pits