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June 2012

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From:
Randy Rowe <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Randy Rowe <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 1 Jun 2012 09:16:50 -0400
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John: The discussion on exotic worms has been interesting. So what can be
done, if anything, from a management standpoint where situations exist as
you describe? Randy Rowe, Wooster

On Fri, Jun 1, 2012 at 8:45 AM, John Pogacnik <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Many thanks to Scott loss for his comments, they were very interesting and
> informative.  The systematic method for assessing invasions by sight that
> Scott mentions is the same training
> that will be taught at the Conservation Symposium workshop in Cleveland
> this fall.  It may even be Cindy Hale that conducts the
> training.
>
> Scott’s comments about the Asian worms are very timely.  The other day
> after sending out my posting I visited
> a park that happens to have the Asian worms.
> This area is part of our Hogback Ridge Park and  is off Route 307 in
> Madison Township.  The forest here is relatively young.  It has a dense
> canopy that is 80-90% maple.  We have one of the Asian worms here.   Two
> species of Amynthas have been documented in Ohio.  It takes lab work to
> tell the two species
> apart so it is unknown which one is present.
> At this forest, probably two thirds to three quarters of the leaves that
> fell last fall are already gone, and this was still in May!.  Dirt
> (?) dominates much of the forest floor.
> The reason for the question mark is whether it is dirt or concentrated worm
> poop.  The soil here has a much different
> texture at the surface than what you expect in a Northeast Ohio forest.
>  It almost resembles clay.   In fact, there
> are even a few spots where there are cracks in the forest floor, as it has
> been
> dry here.  When it gets wet it is very slippery.  If you flip logs, the
> only thing you find are worms.  It is not a hospitable
> environment for much of anything.
>
> The dominant native species on the forest floor in this area
> were ash and poison ivy, and we know that the ash doesn’t have much of a
> future.  Most of the forest floor has no
> ground cover.  There is very little
> habitat for ground nesting birds and the shrub layer of the forest is also
> missing as none of the trees or shrubs ever reach much size.  The only
> birds singing in this area were a
> few red-eyed vireos.  There is basically
> no habitat for ground and mid level breeding birds in this area.  If you
> stand in one area tou can see quite a distance due to the lack of
> vegetation.  There is more activity once you get to the
> ravines and the steep slopes, but there was also some leaf litter in these
> areas and fewer worms.
>
> We also have these worms at our Chapin Forest Park in Kirtland.  In the
> sections of that park where the Asian worms are found, the condition of the
> forest floor is similar to what I saw at Hogback Ridge.   Last year I was
> there the day after July 4th and there were no leaves on the ground at all.
>   However, if you walk 100 yards there is a nice forest with a duff layer
> and numerous maple seedlings.  If you look along the edges though you can
> see the worms are moving in.  I was there early last week and saw several
> adult worms.  The significance of this is the asian worms typically lay
> eggs and die off when it gets cold.   I’m not sure if the eggs hatched
> earlier this year due to the mild March weather or if some adults may have
> overwintered.    If anything, they appear to be getting a head start on
> clearing the forest floor this year.   The only birds singing in this area
> were again red-eyed vireo.  I have found ovenbirds not far from the worm
> area at Chapin.  I think they are safe for a few years. These Asian worms
> are also known as Alabama jumpers and
> jumping worms.  They can eat their own
> weight in a single day, so they are great for composting (not a good thing
> in a forest).  When you get one in your hand they jump
> around.  This active nature makes them
> good fishing bait.  For all these reasons
> they are a popular worm that is getting spread fast.  Just read some of
> the articles on what they
> are doing to the Smoky Mountains and other areas.  They are scattered
> throughout
> Northeast Ohio.  We have them in several
> of our parks and I know Cleveland Metroparks has them in quite a few
> areas.  I’m not sure about their distribution
> elsewhere in Ohio.
>
> There is a lot to learn.
> Non-native earthworms have a major effect on plants, small mammals,
> birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects in our forests.   Couple the
> damage of what they are doing with increasing deer numbers and you have
> some major problems.   If that doesn’t scare you enough, look up
> Vietnamese nuclear worms on the internet.
> These are worms that get up to 9 foot long in Southeast Asia.  They only
> expect them to be 3-6 feet long in
> the US though.  They advertise that one worm
> can be cut into many pieces for fishing bait.   They should not be a
> problem here as they
> cannot tolerate temperatures below 50 degrees.
> However, there is a problem that they are even allowed to be brought
> over to this country.  We need to get
> better laws that do not allow all kinds of exotic plants and animals to be
> brought over
> here without investigations on whether they are invasive or not.  Have we
> not learned any lessons?
>
>
>
> John Pogacnik
>
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