What’s up with all these invasive European earthworms mucking up the soil in the northern forests. Post glaciation reforestation resulted in large swaths of forest in the higher latitudes of n. America, being largely uninhabited by earthworms. This lead to a unique form of adaptation in which leaf litter and dead trees would decompose much slower thus leaving a heavy thick layer of plant matter over much of the soil. This layer of plant matter known as a duff layer, acts like as a porous insulation for seed, roots, and other sprouting plants. In this ecosystem plants that would normally take longer to develop had a protective layer that they could establish themselves in first before sprouting out in the open air. Trees such as the sugar Maple have also found benefits from the duff layer as the structure of the layer keeps temperatures stable and moist, thereby keeping their shallow roots systems healthy. Now however we are seeing a large amount of earthworms spreading throughout the previously worm free zones, decomposing and disrupting the duff layer. Scientists have identified most of the worms in the region as not being from the Americas at all. These worms are just a bunch of freeloading imports from the European continent. Left here by our former overseers like a bunch of tiny eco-terrorists. Luckily in this matter our choice is very clear. Everyone grab your shovels and gloves, it’s time to feed these worms to the fishes.