BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 2, 2021
Researchers are concerned that the discovery of invasive European earthworms at multiple sites in Aroostook County could severely alter northern timberlands. It’s the fourth time that invasive earthworms have been found in The County since the 1950s. Previously, they were found once in 1954 and twice in 1979, according to the University of Maine. “Non-native earthworms cause abrupt changes in forest ecosystems and influence forest health, and many natural resource managers are becoming increasingly alarmed about the presence of earthworms in Maine forests,” said Joshua Puhlick, a research associate in the School of Forest Resources. While invasive earthworms can be carried into the northern forests aboard logging equipment or discarded by fishermen, climate change is increasing the likelihood that the worms will settle into soil.