土壤下的迷你工程師：如果少了蚯蚓，人類還能生存嗎？

by Sally Coulthard, 莎莉．庫特哈德, 周沛郁 (Translator)

博學家達文西說：「我們很了解天體運行，對腳下的土壤卻所知不多。」
生物學家達爾文認為，地球上最重要的動物，
既不是猿類，也不是牛羊豬雞，
而是那些在雨後濕滑地面上蠢蠢蠕動的條狀生物──蚯蚓。

多數人對於土壤中這些小小工程師幾乎一無所知。
我們對蚯蚓視而不見，甚至無意間踐踏而不自知，
然而，少了蚯蚓，土壤就會死去，
我們的花園、農田種不出食物，將無法支撐我們賴以生存的作物和牲畜。

蚯蚓在地球上扮演了關鍵性的角色，
牠們能分解有機質（例如枯葉和花朵），讓分解的好料回歸土壤。
多虧牠們不斷地吃了又拉，才能把有機質分解成細小的片段，
釋放其中的養分，再讓植物、真菌和細菌好好吸收。
此外，牠們在土壤中不斷地扭動、挖掘，幫助雨水滲透，
還能協助清理受污染的土壤，讓土地再度肥沃、富饒。

我們對這種奇妙的生物真的很不了解，
不過近年來，愈來愈多人意識到蚯蚓對地球的生態系至關緊要。

科學家在研究永續農法時，尤其會運用到蚯蚓的潛力……
從蚯蚓「群聚」的本能到天氣偏好，從蚯蚓的求偶儀式到防禦機制，
誰會想得到這些條狀生物竟然這麼複雜……
還有許多問題有待探索：
例如，蚯蚓睡不睡覺？有沒有痛覺？牠們會發出聲音嗎？
移動速度有多快？力氣有多大？牠們怎麼找到配偶？……
看來，這些地底下的生命還有許多我們不太了解的地方。

這是一本與我們生活息息相關的自然科普書，
將為我們揭露地球上最重要生物的趣味八卦！

你可以不用跟蚯蚓很熟，也不需要替牠們取暱稱，
但你可不能忽略牠們，下次遇到蚯蚓，請留意你的腳步！

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Audiobook, Animals, Gardening, Biology

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2021

About the author

After studying Archaeology & Anthropology at Oxford University, best-selling author and designer Sally Coulthard has spent the last twenty years designing, making and writing about homes, craft and outdoor spaces. She sees no boundary between the rules that govern good interior design and those which are needed to craft a spectacular studio or glorious garden.

Keen to make good design accessible, she’s written over twenty books about restoring houses, designing interiors and outdoor living. From garden styles to craftsmanship, creating workspaces to building sheds, Sally’s books inspire, encourage and equip readers to take on projects of their own.

Sally is a passionate advocate of rural living and regularly writes about nature and her experiences of smallholding deep in North Yorkshire countryside, including her ‘Good Life in Country’ column for Country Living magazine.

Reviews

[Naja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Earthworms are really out there living their gross lives and making the world better by pooping a lot.
Anyway, this book was pretty good (probably better in print than an audiobook tho if that is an option for you) and moles are pretty fucked up.
3.5*

[Lisa - OwlBeSatReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Earthworms, rather like bees, are one of the groups of animals known as 'keystone species'. They have such a profound effect on our ecology that, without them, humans would struggle to survive.’

So there you have it. Worms = life. It’s as simple as that.

Another fact, there’s an ‘Annual Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin’ Festival’ in Florida, where worm-charmers entice worms to the surface by hammering wooden stakes into the soil and then scrape the stakes with a ‘rooping iron’ to create vibrations which brings the worms up to the top of the soil! 🤣

And….also… (sorry but I just LOVE a fact-filled book!) did you know that in just one handful of soil there are more living organisms than all the humans on the planet? 🤯

This tiny little nature book wormed its way onto my TBR pile when I saw it in my local library. The librarians created a most beautiful display of books about ecology and gardens and nature and this one really stood out to me. I knew as much about worms as the next person (probably very little!) and now I am, albeit basic level, wriggling with wormy knowledge! Worms are even being used to see if they can survive in soil that is the same as Mars’ surface and (spoiler!) they can! AND they had worm-babies! So, potentially, in answer to Dave Bowie, there could actually be life on Mars. Anyway, I digress.

Sally Coulthard has written a fantastic little book which educated and fascinated, it was very quickly gobbled up just as a blackbird would a juicy worm. 🪱🐦‍⬛

If I’ve learned anything from this couple of hours of worm facts it is this very important nugget of information -

‘Earthworms are essentially one long digestive system with a mouth at one end and a bum at the other.’ 😂

5⭐️ - Brilliant. I loved it.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember when you were a little kid, and earthworms were fascinating (or gross)? Sallly Coulthard reminds us that not only are they STILL fascinating, they are vital to the health of our entire planet - and perhaps a key species in helping ease the pressure so a mechanized world. Of course humans, being the great and terrible menace we are to Mother Earth, are eradicating the earthworm like every other living creature besides us (or really: including us). Coulthard, in addition to giving us the inside out on earthworms, provides usable tips and tricks on how to create habitats for worms and other creatures that depend on them for food (a surprisingly large group of very familiar beloved woodland creatures) that allows them get along in our backyards. Somehow, we have managed to share the earth with worms and foxes and owls and beetles and honeybees for 200,000 years, and we all managed to live, survive and thrive together (well, I suppose moas and mammoths might disagree). Coulthard gives us a roadmap on how that is still possible in our terrible world. An additional positive note: the woodblock prints are fantastic.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lärorikt om daggmaskar och om hur beroende vi är av den. Skriven i ett fråga-svar-format som inte gjorde sig så bra som ljudbok – och kanske inte som bok heller. Jag hade föredragit en lite mer essäistisk form.

[Lesereien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was wisst ihr über Regenwürmer? Wenig? Dann geht es euch wahrscheinlich wie den meisten Menschen. Sogar die Forschung hat erst in den letzten Jahrzehnten begonnen, sich mit Regenwürmern zu beschäftigen und ein Bewusstsein dafür zu entwickeln, wie wichtig sie für uns sind.

Dabei würde nicht nur unsere Landwirtschaft ohne Regenwürmer zusammenbrechen, wir hätten beispielsweise auch mehr Überschwemmungen. Denn Regenwürmer pflügen unsere Böden ständig um, machen sie so durchlässiger für Wasser, nährstoffreicher und auch fruchtbarer. In der Zukunft werden sie außerdem auch eine Rolle in der Medizin und Ernährung spielen. In der Kosmetik tun sie es jetzt schon, da ihr Schleim für Anti-Falten-Produkte genutzt wird.

Sally Coulthards Buch macht seinen Lesern bewusst, wie essentiell diese kleinen Tiere für uns sind und füllt zahlreiche Wissenslücken. Denn wer von uns weiß schon, ob Regenwürmer sehen können? Ob sie Freunde haben oder Häuser bauen? Oder ob sie wirklich überleben können, wenn man sie in der Mitte trennt?

Die Antworten zu diesen Fragen und vielen weiteren finden sich in Coulthards verständlichem, spannendem und vor allem wichtigem Buch. Es enthält im Übrigen Ideen und Anleitungen dazu, wie man den eigenen Garten regenwurmfreundlicher gestalten kann. Denn natürlich setzen die industrielle Landwirtschaft, Pestizide und Mikorplastik auch den Würmern in der Erde zu.

Deshalb: eine Empfehlung für alle mit und auch alle ohne Garten.

[Colby Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t stop thinking about worms now

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read quite a bit about worms over the years, and even had thoughts of starting a worm farm at one time, for an income. This book is both useful, and playful. For its size, it has a good deal of information about what worms do, how they live, where they thrive, their physiognomy and more. In fact probably as much as you'd ever want to know about worms. And certainly they turn out to be far more astonishing creatures than most of us imagine, if we pay attention to them at all.

[Alison Fiona Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate worms but after reading this I hate them a little less and have a lot more respect for them.

[Shelbycat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating!

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!! I felt like a fake fan of worms before because I loved worms but really knew nothing about them. I never realised how cool worms were before and I currently feel bad for feeding so many worms to our chickens lol.

[Diane Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a short and sweet book as a venture into the world of earthworms, like the honey bees of the soil. Crucial to the survival of our species, they are included in the keystone species list along with bees. I saw a documentary on Netflix called Kiss The Ground which convinced me that I didn't get enough knowledge through my public school education on why ecological collapse occurs, such as the Dust Bowl in America. We caused it, and our use of pesticides and fertilizers, monocrop plantings, and the need to eat the same ten staples of agricultural fruits and vegetables with a lack of variety in our diets and biodiversity in our choices. I very much appreciate earth worms even more and the need to create a garden that is a haven for them as well, as they are the difference between a thriving lush scape, and one that is dying from being "dirt poor".

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little two hour long audiobook about the secret life of the earthworm. All sorts of little facts, insights and a look into this fundamental and interesting little creature. Long and short of it; earthworms are cool.

A collective noun of an earthworm is a clew. Also a bed, a bunch, a knot, a squirm or a wriggle of worms. Awesome.

I mean who knew the world worm charming championships? And that there was over 3000 types? Why do they burrow to the surface after rain? Can a worm make friends and could they help us colonise other planets? All the stuff you didn’t know you needed know on the earthworm.

Really entertaining and insightful little book. Will certainly never look at an earthworm in the same way again. Really enjoyed it!

[john Calkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suspect that a lot of nature lovers don't want to know much about worms. That's too bad. Investigating the entire realm of nature writing pays off in gaining a more complete understanding of the world we live on, and in this case, walk on. Sally Coulthard is a fine writer with good research skills. She is well-read in England where she lives. It's not surprising then that she concentrates on the nature scene in that country. In this case, that's a shame, as European earthworms that have unthinkingly been released in North America have changed the continent in ways that don't please many people. Be that as it may, this is an interesting little book that will change your appreciation for the humble earthworm. The biology of earthworms is nicely covered and there is enough anecdotal information to keep the story light.

[Ryo · Rating 4 out of 5]

看完這本後我才知道原來世界上還有其他顏色的蚯蚓。😯😧
本書主要內容是關於蚯蚓的秘密生活，就是一些有趣的小常識，像是:
蚯蚓看得見嗎？
蚯蚓會睡覺嗎?
蚯蚓的力氣有多大？
蚯蚓會交朋友嗎？
蚯蚓有痛覺嗎？
諸如此類的蚯蚓小知識。

為什麼是蚯蚓? 怎麼不是其他受人類愛戴或是讓人又愛又恨的動物們?
為何要選擇一個不起眼的小蟲來作為本書的主軸?

蚯蚓其實是地球上很重要的動物，多數人對於土壤中這些迷你生物幾乎一無所知，甚至感到噁心。牠們和蜜蜂一樣屬於關鍵物種，對生態影響甚遠，若牠們消失在世界上，人類多半也很難存續。 原因在於現代農業仰賴肥沃的土壤(相關書籍可參閱《土壤的救贖》)，而擁有優質土壤的關鍵之一，就是蚯蚓，牠們能分解土壤中的有機質，釋放其養分，好讓植物、真菌這些地表下的生物吸收。 研究顯示，比起沒有蚯蚓的土壤，有蚯蚓的土壤平均會讓植物生長增加2成，這些看似微不足道的小地方，若改變了對生態系都會造成嚴重的影響，所以，你還能將蚯蚓視作沒用的生物嗎？

[Deirdre E Siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay… a must listen book for every child with a tame adult on hand, this is a book about the healthy continuation of our planet’s earthworm, the great aerator of soil.
With earthy worm tales of taste bud titillation in different global cultures and the untold benefits to the human race along with reasons and plans for building communities safe for Earthworms be it a garden or compost.
Thank you for your collection of words Sally Coulthard, very much enjoyed and appreciated. (-:

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5ish
This was enjoyable and interesting, author didn't add too much of her own personality into the info telling but it also wasn't written like a textbook. Although I enjoyed the narrator, this book definitely seems more suited for physical reading, with it's many subsections, tables, lists, and factoids.
It was only a 2 hour audiobook and I definitely could've used more but there was already some repetition between sections so it's likely better it was only so long

[wormy ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

a lovely little book full of worm facts you didn't know you wanted to know.
can worms survive underwater?
can they feel pain?
why are earthworms slimy?

throughout the book are little fun facts, and pages dedicated to how you can help the worms.

i'm biased because i love worms but i think anybody with an interest in science would get some pleasure from this short interesting book.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This deceptively small book tells you everything you ever wanted to know about earthworms, from providing their history and biology to answering questions such as "Do earthworms feel pain?" and "Do earthworms have friends?" Despite its small size and colorful cover, this is not a book intended for young children but for worm aficionados from middle grade through adult. Highly recommended.

[Liam Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is nice to read about worms but not a particularly scientific book, as one might expect. There is much conjecture, and I still have some key questions about the effects of worms on forested ecosystems for example. My prof says they are invasive here. But this is to be read in papers not found in a book like this

[Tamara Zann · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a short book with many fascinating details and facts about the life and habitat of earthworms.
I often wished that some had been more elaborated on but ultimately enjoyed that the book was short and to the point.

[Jazmyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to the sheep book, but not similar to sheep. Worms are not monogamous and are super freaks and cannot be gay bc they actually have both the male and female anatomy. All they do is party and take care of our soil. Hell yeah to that.

[Tia Seymanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERYONE READ THIS!!
“a nation that destroys its soil destroys itself”
I knew worms were cool, but this book really put it into perspective how vital they actually are! So many good worm facts + worm pictures in the book.

[Shaun M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a short but fascinating glimpse into the world of the Earthworm, answering just about everything a non-scientist might be curious to know about them. Very accessible and packed with good information (including tips on how you can help worms!)

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely learned a lot about earthworms!

[Booksingarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally excellent book on earthworms.

[Orlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting quick read, I liked her book on sheep so thought I would give this one a go. Pretty good but wish it had proper summary at the end.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great info on earthworms. The only thing I think the author missed was talking about introducing worms to new areas and the problems that can cause.

[Emily Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Went into this knowing nothing about earthworms and came out knowing a lot! A thoroughly enjoyable book that is both easy to understand and highly informative.

[Ellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea