What the project is all about:
Our project is about how different factors affect the number of and type of worms we will see in an area. We wanted to learn about worms because they are very important for many ecosystems and many times, they are forgotten. Many people don’t know why worms live in certain areas and what affects their lives. We wanted to understand the lives of worms because they are very important to our lives because they help fertilize the plants which we eat.
Worms Project
Background Research
There are three different type of worms: endogeic, epigeic, and anecic. Endogeic worms live on the soil surface, epigeic worms live in the topsoil, and anecic worms are deep-burrowing worms that live deep in the soil. The method that we used to collect worms was used a mustard powder solution to irritate their skin so that they would come to the surface. We also knew that worms prefer more moisture so they come up out of the soil when it rains and they live more in wetter soil. We also knew that worms prefer moderate temperatures that aren’t too cold or too hot. Worms also like to live in vegetation because the roots of the plant help them move around and create their habitats.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053863
This article talks about what earthworms do, where they are, and how they affect the food web and water quality.
https://sciencing.com/worms-out-ground-mustard-8297814.html
This article talks about how to get worms out using mustard powder which irritates their skin.
http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Oligochaeta/
This article talks about what oligochaeta (scientific names of worms) look like, where they live, their habitat,
how they grow, how long they live, how they behave, how they communicate, what they eat, how they survive from predators, their roles in the ecosystem, the problems they cause, how they interact with humans, and whether or not they are endangered.
http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=3276
This website talks about why worms come to the surface when it rains.
https://journeynorth.org/tm/worm/WormLife.html
This article talks about the life of an earthworm.
https://extension.psu.edu/earthworms
This article talks about why earthworms are important and what types there are.
https://animals.mom.me/effect-temperature-earthworm-population-6147.html
This website talks about the effect of temperature on the earthworm population.
https://www.professorshouse.com/what-do-worms-eat/
This article talks about what worms eat.