The Effects of Desiccation on the Metabolic Rate of Earthworms (Lumbricus terres!ris)
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Authors
Smith, Meghan
Issue Date
1998
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Research has shown that earthworms are beneficial to agriculture by creating,
through egestion, the finely, enriched fragments of castings that are essential for plant
growth. Their burrows increase preferential flow of water and air and form the conduits
for water conduction and chemicals, decreasing run-off and helping in the maintenance of
soil nutrients. These studies have examined the effects of worms and worm burrows on
water in agricultural systems, yet the effects of water on earthworms has been relatively
unexplored. Gas exchange by earthworms takes place by diffusion through the epidermis.
For cutaneous respiration to occur, it is essential that a thin film of moisture be
maintained on the respiratory surface by continuous secretion of mucus. In earthworms,
the proportion of body water is always subject to change, especially when moving about
on the surface of the ground, and the ability to survive these fluctuations in water content
is of extreme importance for the survival of the organism. I attempted through this
project to determine the effects of desiccation on the metabolic rate of earthworms. A
control and an experimental, desiccated, group were acclimated to a constant temperature
for one day, weighed and then placed into metabolic chambers where metabolic rates
were recorded. There was no significant change in metabolic rate as desiccation increases.
Thus, it seems that earthworms are capable of maintaining cutaneous blood flow and,
thereby, gas exchange that sustain metabolic rate even though they become significantly
desiccated.
Description
v, 28 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.