NelsonAw man, I'm bummed that I seem to have discovered a "jumping worm" or "crazy worm" crawling out of my yard. They're very damaging to forest ecosystems, even worse than the previously introduced European earthworms: https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2024/04/01/invasive-earthworms-threaten-forests-and-gardens-and-mitigation-has-proven-difficult/
I was planning to remove my non-native bushes from my yard and give them to a neighbor this weekend, but now I have to question doing that if it's possible that would help the #invasive #worms spread.
Invasive earthworms threaten forests and gardens, and mitigation has proven difficult - Grid Magazine
Earthworms can be a gardener’s friend. They can transport nutrients from the soil surface to layers deep underground where roots can access them. Their burrows are passageways for water and air. By aerating soil and mixing nutrients, most species of earthworms support cultivated plants. In forests, however, where lingering leaf litter is critical to forest health, earthworms are disruptive. Plant life in forests in Wissahickon Valley Park, Pennypack Park, Haddington Woods and other woodland in Philadelphia depend on the dead leaves that fall every autumn. Leaf litter replenishes humus and soil as it slowly decays. It provides substrate for seeds