Jumping worm
Header image credit: "Invasive earthworm Amynthas agrestis" by Tom Potterfield is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Background
Jumping worms are a group of invasive earthworms (Amynthas spp.) known for their leaping, snake-like movement. They live and feed in the upper leaf litter layer of soil, often dramatically damaging its quality and nutrient content. For this reason, jumping worms can trigger erosion, threaten plant growth and decrease soil community biodiversity.
Jumping worms have made their way across North America through composting, the fishing bait trade and by movement of potted plants and mulch. Minnesota is still in the early stages of invasion. This project enlisted citizen scientists in the Duluth, Rochester, and Twin Cities metro areas to learn how jumping worms are spreading in our region and how they might best be controlled. Researchers will create a best management practice guide for jumping worm infestations in Minnesota.
Research questions
- How do jumping worms spread in Minnesota?
- Does temperature limit where jumping worms could spread in Minnesota?
- Is commercial earthworm treatment effective for jumping worms?
- What are the best management practices for jumping worms in Minnesota?
Practical implications
The results of this work will help state regulators develop best practices to prevent the wider spread of jumping worms in Minnesota. Best management practices will also inform major industry partners like the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association.
Outcomes
The research team found that jumping worms are widely distributed in gardens and forest remnants in the Twin Cities, Rochester, and other metropolitan areas in southeastern Minnesota. The worms occupy places on the landscape with cool soil temperatures. Jumping worms affect soil morphology which can lead to soil erosion and loss of plant diversity.
Publications
Coming soon
News and media
- The jumping worm invasion may be less worrisome than it sounds (Popular Science, 2022)
- Digging in on invasive earthworms (CFANS, 2022)
- UMN researchers enlist citizens in the fight against jumping worms (Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, 2022)
- How To Keep Destructive ‘Jumping Worms’ At Bay (WCCO, video, 2022)
- Fading Forest Floors: Citizens and scientists track an invasive earthworm in Minnesota (Minnesota Conservation Volunteer Magazine, 2022)
- “A new invader” (Northern Gardener Magazine, 2022)
- Jumping-worm invasion upends spring plant-sale season (Star Tribune, 2021)
- Too Much Wiggle Room (The National Wildlife Federation, 2021)
- Jumping worms are hatching and invading green spaces around the metro this spring (KTSP, 2021)
- Ask a Master Gardener: Stop jumping worms before they wiggle into your yard (Duluth News Tribune, 2021)
- Getting their hands dirty: University of Minnesota digs into worm research (The Minnesota Daily, 2020)
- DNR warns Minnesotans about spread of invasive 'jumping worms' (Star Tribune, 2020)
- Invasive 'jumping worm' leaps into Minnesota (MPR News, 2020)
- Grow with KARE: Jumping worms (KARE11, 2020)
- In Defense of Plants: Earthworm Invaders (In Defense of Plants podcast, May 2020)
- Invasive ‘Jumping’ Worms Are Now Tearing Through Midwestern Forests (Audubon News, 2020)
- Invasive earthworms are burrowing into boreal forests worldwide (Popular Science, 2019)
- ’Earthworm dilemma' has climate scientists racing to catch up (New York Times, 2019)
- U of M researchers find earthworms are threatening Minnesota's state flower (KSTP, 2019)
Outreach
- Minnesota Native Plant Society, 2022
- Composting Council and yard waste and compost managers, 2022
- Northern Green Expo, 2022
- Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference, 2022
- North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA), 2021
- Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference, 2020