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Soil Biology & Ecology

Unit 2.3 | Part 2 – 111

Demonstration 3: Assessing Earthworm

Populations as Indicators of Soil Quality

for the instructor

OVERVIEW

This demonstration introduces

students to techniques for assessing

earthworm populations as indicators

of soil quality.

You have a choice of two methods

for this demonstration. The shovel-

count method will be more tedious

for the students because they

will have to sort through the soil

and remove all earthworms. The

vermifuge method may take a little

more effort at first to gather the

materials needed, but it will make

the students’ work easier.

MATERIALS

SHOVEL-COUNT METHOD

Ê UÊÊ -…œÛiÃ

Ê UÊÊ 

>À̅ܜÀ“Ê>Ì>Ê-…iiÌÊ­
««i˜`ˆÝÊx®ÊÊ

Ê UÊÊ *i˜VˆÃ

VERMIFUGE METHOD

Ê UÊÊ ->“«iÊÀˆ˜}Æ

Ê UÊÊ 

ˆ««iÀÃ

Ê UÊÊ 7>ÌiÀˆ˜}ÊV>˜Ê

Ê UÊÊ -Vœœ«Ê

Ê UÊÊ -̈ÀÀˆ˜}ÊÀœ`

Ê UÊÊ ÀiÅÊÜ>ÌiÀ

Ê UÊÊ >ÀÃ

Ê UÊÊ 

>À̅ܜÀ“Ê>Ì>Ê-…iiÌÊ­
««i˜`ˆÝÊx®

Ê UÊÊ *i˜VˆÃ

Ê UÊÊ ÀœÕ˜`ÊÞiœÜʓÕÃÌ>À`ÊÃii`Ê­>Û>ˆ>Liʈ˜ÊLՏŽÊvÀœ“ÊÊ

Ê …i>Ì…Êvœœ`ÊÃ̜ÀiÃʜÀÊvÀœ“Ê…iÀLÊVœ“«>˜ˆiî‡

†->“«iÊÀˆ˜}ÃÊ`iw˜iÊ̅iÊÃ>“«iÊ>Ài>Ê>˜`Ê«ÀiÛi˜ÌÊÛiÀ“ˆvÕ}iÊ

from escaping sample area. A simple design is to cut the

top 8–12 inches from a 5-gallon drum and weld on a piece

of metal pipe that overhangs each side by 6 inches to use

as a handle. The ring is pressed into the soil to 2–3 inches

depth, and vermifuge is added within the sample ring.

Sample rings can also be fashioned from sheet metal, hous-

ing duct pipes, or large clean paint cans with the bottom

cut off.

‡ÈäʓÊ­ÛœÕ“i®ÊœÀÊÎÓÊ}À>“ÃʜvÊÞiœÜʓÕÃÌ>À`Ê«œÜ`iÀÊ̜Ê

{°xʏˆÌiÀÃʜvÊÌ>«ÊÜ>ÌiÀÊrÊ£ÎʓÉ£ÊˆÌiÀʜÀÊÇ}ɏˆÌiÀ°Ê

4.5 liters of vermifuge is the amount required per sample

area in this demonstration.

Instructor’s Demonstration 3 Outline