"Linked disturbance in the temperate forest: Earthworms, deer, and canopy gaps," a new paper co-authored by Department of Forest Resources Adjunct Professor and Center for Forest Ecology Director Lee Frelich, was published in Ecology. Per the paper, research shows that "earthworm invasion is linked to deer presence and gap-creating disturbances, which provides new insight in multiple disturbance theory, aboveground–belowground dynamics, and temperate forest management."
"Invasive earthworms are ecosystem engineers which negatively impact fundamental ecosystem properties such as nutrient retention and the diversity of native plant species. Deer exacerbate these negative impacts by increasing earthworm populations,” Frelich told CFANS in a blog about the paper.
Read the full paper in Ecology.
Read a post about the paper on the CFANS blog.