Biodiversity of Earthworms with Special Reference to Tehsil Wazirabad, District Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan: Biodiversity of Earthworms in Wazirabad, Pakistan

Muhammad Ahsan Raza; Ali Hasan; Syeda Alveena Hashmi; Usman Zafar

doi:10.54393/mjz.v5i01.85

Authors

Muhammad Ahsan Raza Government Graduate College for Boys, Satellite Town, Gujranwala, Pakistan
Ali Hasan Honeybee Research Garden, Institute of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Syeda Alveena Hashmi Institute of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Usman Zafar University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/mjz.v5i01.85

Keywords:

Pheretima posthuma, Earthworms, Biodiversity, Taxonomic Characteristics, Endogeic

Abstract

Earthworms are crucial soil invertebrates that are involved in the circulation of nutrients, humus formation, decomposition of organic matter and generation of soil texture. They play an important role as bioindicator of soil contamination. Objective: To investigate the biodiversity of earthworms in different habitats (Grassy lawns, croplands, marshy areas, ponds, edges of river and canals) of Tehsil Wazirabad, Punjab, Pakistan. Methods: A total number of four hundred and fifty (450) samples of earthworms were collected from above mentioned sites for a period of six months (March 2015 to August 2015), by hand sorting technique. Morphological details of all earthworm specimens collected from the designated areas were recorded and species were identified by using the systematic key. Results: During present investigation, six species; Pheretima posthuma, P. lignicola, P. morrisi, Microscolex dubis, Aporrectodea longa and Notoscolex sacutarius belonging to 4 genera and 2 families (Megascolecidae, Lumbricidae) were recorded. The distribution patterns of various earthworm species in the designated habitats shows that Pheretima posthuma is the most abundant species distributed in all sites; whereas, P. lignicola was least populated in the selected habitats. According to ecological grouping of reported earthworm species; Endogeic (50%) was the most dominant group followed by Epigeic (33%) and Anecic (17%). Conclusions: This study provided the base line data and much needed information about biodiversity of earthworms in Tehsil Wazirabad. This knowledge can be very useful in improving the soil conditions and agriculture gross production in investigated area.

References

Blouin M, Sery N, Cluzeau D, Brun JJ, Bédécarrats A. Balkanized research in ecological engineering revealed by a bibliometric analysis of earthworms and ecosystem services. Environmental Management. 2013 Aug; 52: 309-20. doi: 10.1007/s00267-013-0079-8.

Raja IA, Ehsan N, Rana N, Sarwar A. Impact of soil pollutants on diversity and abundance of earthworms in cauliflower crop. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies. 2017; 5(4): 1007-12.

Lavelle P, Charpentier F, Villenave C, Rossi JP, Derouard L, Pashanasi B et al. Effects of earthworms on soil organic matter and nutrient dynamics at a landscape scale over decades. Earthworm Ecology. 2004 Mar; 2: 145-60. doi: 10.1201/9781420039719.pt4.

Bastardie F, Capowiez Y, Cluzeau D. 3D characterisation of earthworm burrow systems in natural soil cores collected from a 12-year-old pasture. Applied Soil Ecology. 2005 Sep; 30(1): 34-46. doi: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2005.01.001.

Lubbers IM, Van Groenigen KJ, Fonte SJ, Six J, Brussaard L, Van Groenigen JW. Greenhouse-gas emissions from soils increased by earthworms. Nature Climate Change. 2013 Mar; 3(3): 187-94. doi: 10.1038/nclimate1692.

Rafique A and Rana SA. Species association of some earthworms in the agroecosystem of Faisalabad and Sargodha. Pakistan Journal of Agriculture Sciences. 2001; 38: 3-4.

Eisenhauer N. The action of an animal ecosystem engineer: Identification of the main mechanisms of earthworm impacts on soil microarthropods. Pedobiologia. 2010 Oct; 53(6): 343-52. doi: 10.1016/j.pedobi.2010.04.003.

Ferlian O, Eisenhauer N, Aguirrebengoa M, Camara M, Ramirez‐Rojas I, Santos F, Tanalgo K et al. Invasive earthworms erode soil biodiversity: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Animal Ecology. 2018 Jan; 87(1): 162-72. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.12746.

Rajiv KS Sunil H, Sunita A, Ravi A and Emilio C. Vermiculture and waste management: study of action of earthworms Elsiniafoetida, Eudriluseuginae and Perionyx excavates on biodegradation of some community wastes in India and Australia. Earthworms and Environmental Sciences. 2004; 22: 261-8.

Symondson WO, Glen DM, Erickson ML, Liddell JE, Langdon CJ. Do earthworms help to sustain the slug predator Pterostichus melanarius (Coleoptera: Carabidae) within crops? Investigations using monoclonal antibodies. Molecular Ecology. 2000 Sep; 9(9): 1279-92. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294x.2000.01006.x.

Cooper EL, Balamurugan M, Huang CY, Tsao CR, Heredia J, Tommaseo-Ponzetta M et al. Earthworms dilong: ancient, inexpensive, noncontroversial models may help clarify approaches to integrated medicine emphasizing neuroimmune systems. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2012 Jan; 2012. doi: 10.1155/2012/164152.

Sivakumar S, Prabha D, Barathi S, Nityanandi D, Subbhuraam CV, Lakshmipriya T et al. The influence of the earthworm Lampito mauritii (Kinberg) on the activity of selected soil enzymes in cadmium-amended soil. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 2015 Mar; 187: 1-8. doi: 10.1007/s10661-014-4253-0.

Edwards CA. The importance of earthworms as key representatives of the soil fauna. Earthworm Ecology. 2004 Mar; 2: 3-11. doi: 10.1201/9781420039719.pt1.

Hendrix PF and Bohlen PJ. Exotic earthworm invasions in North America: ecological and policy implications: expanding global commerce may be increasing the likelihood of exotic earthworm invasions, which could have negative implications for soil processes, other animal and plant species, and importation of certain pathogens. Bioscience. 2002 Sep; 52(9): 801-11. doi: 10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0801:EEIINA]2.0.CO;2.

Hendrix PF, Callaham Jr MA, Drake JM, Huang CY, James SW, Snyder BA et al. Pandora's box contained bait: the global problem of introduced earthworms. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. 2008 Dec; 39: 593-613. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.39.110707.173426.

Whalen JK, Parmelee RW, Edwards CA. Population dynamics of earthworm communities in corn agroecosystems receiving organic or inorganic fertilizer amendments. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 1998 Sep; 27: 400-7. doi: 10.1007/s003740050450.

Garg N and Julka JM. Biodiversity of Earthworms in Trans-Gangetic Plains of District Yamuna Nagar, Haryana. Voyager. 2017 Dec; 124-32.

Callaham Jr MA, Hendrix PF, Phillips RJ. Occurrence of an exotic earthworm (Amynthas agrestis) in undisturbed soils of the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA: The 7th International Symposium onn Earthworm Ecology· Cardiff, Wales, 2002. Pedobiologia. 2003 Jan 1; 47(5-6): 466-70. doi: 10.1016/S0031-4056(04)70223-1.

Suthar S. Earthworm biodiversity in western arid and semiarid lands of India. The Environmentalist. 2011 Mar; 31(1): 74-86. doi: 10.1007/s10669-011-9308-y.

Meyer S and William A. 1922. Imperial Gazetteer of India, 24: 380.

Lalthanzara H, Zothansanga C, Lalchhanhima M, Kumar NS, Ngukir J, Kimsing A et al. Diversity and new records of earthworms in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. Journal of Environmental Biology. 2020 Jul; 41(4): 874-83. doi: 10.22438/jeb/4(SI)/MS_1921.

Stephenson J. Oligochaeta, Fauna of British India Series. London. UK. 1923; 507.

Gates GE. Burmese earthworms: an introduction to the systematics and biology of megadrile oligochaetes with special reference to Southeast Asia. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 1972 Jan; 62(7): 1-326. doi: 10.2307/1006214.

Julka JM. fauna of India and the adjacent countries. 1988. 1-400.

Halder KR, Dhani S, Mandal CK. On some earthworms present in unnamed collections of zoological survey of India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India. 2007 Sep; 107(3): 79-93. doi: 10.26515/rzsi/v107/i3/2007/159128.

Shannon CE and Weaver W. The mathematical theory of information. Urbana: University of Illinois Press; Illinois, USA; 1949.

Simpson EH. Measurement of diversity. Nature; 1949. doi: 10.1038/163688a0.

Reynolds JW and Wetzel MJ. Terrestrial Oligochaeta (Annelida: Clitellata) in North America north of Mexico. Megadrilogica. 2004 Mar; 9(11): 71-98.

Fatima Jalal FJ, Qureshi JI, Bokhari SA, Asma Haque AH, Khalid ZM, Rana SA. Contribution of earthworms to enhance fertility in selected orchards of Faisalabad district. International Journal of Biosciences. 2014; 5(9): 75-84. doi: 10.12692/ijb/5.9.75-84.

Hussain M, Liaqat I, Ali S, Aftab N, Ulfat M, Naseem S et al. Diversity and Abundance of Delineated Earthworm (Annelida: Clitellata) in Pakistan: A Review. Journal of Oleo Science. 2022; 71(6): 834-839. doi: 10.5650/jos.ess22018.

Abdul Ghafoor AG, Muhammad Hassan MH, Alvi ZH. Biodiversity of earthworm species from various habitats of District Narowal, Pakistan. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology. 2008; 10: 681-4.

Sial N, Abid S, Shahzad MI, Hashim S, Kirmani F, Shafique S et al. Diversity of earthworms in district Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. Wulfenia Journal. 2017; 24(4): 170-4.

Aziz S, Ehsan N, Latif F, Ali MS, Abdullah S. Comparison of Biodiversity and Abundance of Earthworms in Maize Croplands, Irrigated with Sewage and Canal Water of District Faisalabad, Pakistan. Journal of Bioresource Management. 2023; 10(1): 16.

Najar IA and Khan AB. Factors affecting distribution of earthworms in Kashmir Valley: a multivariate statistical approach. In: Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 2014 Dec; 67(2): 126-135. doi: 10.1007/s12595-013-0081-4.