Cold hardiness and geographic distribution of earthworms (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae, Moniligastridae)

Abstract

Cold hardiness of 12 species and 2 subspecies of earthworms from Northern Eurasia was studied. Supercooling temperatures, the water content and the thresholds of tolerated temperatures of worms and their cocoons were determined. The threshold values varied within −1…−35°C for worms and within −1…−196°C for cocoons. Earthworms of 4 species and 2 subspecies survived freezing. Cocoons of all species except Eisenia fetida possessed a protective dehydration mechanism which prevented their freezing. During wintering at subzero temperatures, earthworms lost up to 20% of water, cocoons up to 37%. Species of the same life form can overwinter at different phases and have different cold hardiness values. On the whole, epigeic and epi-endogeic species (except for Eisenia fetida) were more resistant to cold than endogeic ones. The following preliminary classification of earthworms according to their tolerance to negative temperatures is proposed: (1) both onthogenetic phases are tolerant; (2) only cocoons are tolerant; (3) both onthogenetic phases are intolerant. The geographic distribution of all the studied species (except for Eisenia nordenskioldi nordenskioldi) is partially or completely limited by insufficient resistance of the worms to negative temperatures. A significant cold hardiness of cocoons of most species is nonadaptive, since the worms hatched from the eggs in spring die without having enough time to reach maturity and to lay cocoons before the onset of subzero temperatures. Only 3 species (Eisenia nordenskioldi nordenskioldi, Eisenia atlavinyteae, and Dendrobaena octaedra) can live in permafrost regions; this is the main reason for a drastically reduced diversity of earthworm assemblages in eastern Siberia except for its southern, mountain parts. In general, the reasons for the impoverishment lie in the modern climatic conditions correlated with the ecophysiological capacities of earthworms.