Earthworms and soil water regulation: A review

Abstract

For a long time, soils were considered an inert substrate, however, now it is widely acknowledged that soils are a dynamic system comprising considerable biodiversity. Earthworms are an essential component of the biological activity in soils. These organisms contribute to plant productivity, plant and soil health and many other ecosystem services. Here, we review the contribution of earthworms to soil water regulation. We particularly synthesize our understanding of how earthworms affect soil water infiltration and movement and soil water retention and storage dynamics. We briefly review factors that impact soil water regulation, and we show a substantial knowledge gap related, in particular, to difficulties in identifying processes by which earthworms impact on soil water storage and how interactions of earthworms of different species with different plant rooting strategies impact water flow and storage. This review aims to provide guidance to obtain a general emerging framework of earthworm effects on soil water regulation.

Keywords

• earthworms
• soil water infiltration
• water holding capacity
• soil water storage
• earthworms
• and plant interaction