Yang, M. (2022, May 21). ‘Extremely active’ jumping worms that can leap a foot raise alarm in California. The Guardian. Retrieved June 6, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/us -news/2022/may/21/invasive-jumping-worms-amynthas-agrestis-california
A few months before late May, 2022, Asian jumping worms were spotted in California. Native to east Asia, this invasive species moves wildly when handled, including thrashing and jumping up to a foot in the air. They have even been known to detach body parts. Experts have suggested various ways to eliminate the worms, which includes using mustard pour and transparent polyethylene to bagging them and exposing them to the sun. Experts are also warning people that the worms can live in mulch, potting mixes, and potted plants and can migrate through people raking, blowing, or recycling leaves.
This article is related to environmental science because Asian jumping worms can harm California’s ecosystem. The species quickly chews through fallen leaves, which destroys the top layer of forest soil, which many plants and animals need to survive. For example, many trees in hardwood forests need thick layers of fallen leaves to serve as a rooting medium to grow. Asian jumping worms are also hermaphroditic, allowing them to reproduce without mating and spread quickly. I didn’t know that fallen leaves were so integral to maintaining California’s ecosystem, and now I understand the threat these worms can pose to the environment. I wonder how effective the methods suggested by experts are at ridding the environment of this invasive species. It seems to me that individual action will not be enough, and, without state government interference, the worm population will continue to spread throughout California, causing untold damage to the ecosystem. I want to know if California’s government is taking any action to combat the worm’s spread. Perhaps these worms have a natural predator in east Asia, and introducing that organism in California could help keep the population of Asian jumping worms under control, though there’s always a risk that the worm’s natural predator, if it exists, would also become an invasive species when introduced to the state.
This information is alarming but Im hopeful that there are solutions. I agree, in order to eliminate this invasive species we need to take governmental/group action. I also wonder what policies have been implemented regarding Asian jumping worms?
Thank you for checking out my post. As far as I can tell, there have been no official policies put in place regarding Asian jumping worms, though experts have made many recommendations on how to deal with them.
I agree with you in that I never realized how integral fallen leaves may be to an ecosystem, it demonstrates how fragile some ecosystems really are. Do you know what area of California the jumping worms were seen in? Also, how were the worms introduced to the area in the first place?
Thank you for checking out my post. The jumping worms were seen in California’s Napa county. The worms were introduced to North America “via various landscape plants that have been imported from the region[,]” and they can be spread in mulch, in potting mixes, in potted plants, or even by raking or blowing leaves.