WORM POWER
The earthworm population in an acre of soil can be one million. Earthworms in the Nile River valley can deposit up to 1,000 tons of castings per acre, which helps to explain the astonishing fertility of Egypt's agricultural land.
Earthworms pass the top few inches of soil through their guts every year....worms, through their actions, substantially change the earth. They alter its composition, increase its capacity to absorb and hold water, and bring about an increase in nutrients and microorganisms. In short, they prepare the soil for farming.
They work with humans to extract a life from the land.
They move the earth.
What a remarkable accomplishment for a creature weighing only a fraction of an ounce.
Darwin's Worms, Amy Stewart. Wilson Quarterly, winter 2004.
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