Biology major presents invasive earthworm research

Biology major John Gorsuch recently presented his research on a species of invasive earthworms to the University of Cincinnati (UCBA) biology department. The event took place on Friday, May 4 in Walters 100.

The invasive species Gorsuch has studied is scientifically classified as Amynthas agrestis. Other common names for the worms include the snake worm, the crazy worm, and the Alabama Jumper due to their tendency to thrash and leap to defend against predators.

Gorsuch presented his research in a PowerPoint entitled "The Anthropogenic Spread and Ecological Impact of Invasive Asian Earthworms."

The information relayed to viewers explored the predatory interactions between Amynthas and native species of salamanders. Gorsuch also discussed the impact the invaders are having on the environment.

After first noticing them at French Park in 2010, Gorsuch became interested in finding out how the worms, which originate from Asia, fit into the environment they have been introduced to.

To answer this question, Gorsuch conducted a number of feeding trials along with biology professor Pat Owen. Seal salamanders, a local consumer of earthworms, were chosen to serve as model predators.

The salamanders and worms used in these trials came from Red River Gorge in Kentucky, which hosts a significant population of the invaders.

After creating covered enclosures that provided the salamanders with a natural setting, Gorsuch was able to observe the predators' interactions with Amynthas. His goal was to determine whether or not the invaders are a viable food substitute for native earthworms such as Octolasion and Lumbricus.

Gorsuch discussed the results of these trials with the audience, complete with video clips of the salamanders hunting the prey they were provided (including Amynthas, crickets, and local worms).

Unique abilities of Amynthas were observed in these clips, such as the worms' ability to flip and secrete a distasteful substance in the face of danger.

In addition to their competition with native species, Gorsuch informed viewers of the harmful impacts Amynthas is having on various environmental habitats.

Specifically, the invaders are consuming an important material called leaf litter - dead leaves scattered on the ground that provide habitats for a wide variety of species such as the Northern Redback Salamander.

The destruction of this material could have significant environmental consequences.

In August 2012, the work Gorsuch and Owen have done in regard to Amynthas agrestis will be presented as a poster at the World Congress of Herpetology in Vancouver, Canada. For more information about this event, visit http://www.worldcongressofherpetology.org/.

In the future, Gorsuch plans to continue his expansive research on Amynthas. He is specifically interested in the potentially symbiotic and cellulolytic native bacteria in the foregut of the worms.