Earthworms and Soil Nutrients in Agricultural Ecosystems

Earthworms are abundant invertebrates in agricultural soils that have a myriad of well-documented effects on soil functions and plant production. Earthworm activities are linked to changes in hydrological flows and accelerated biogeochemical cycling, which readily connects earthworms to the buffering and regulatory processes at an ecosystem level. In this chapter, we explore the relationship between the actions of earthworms in agricultural soils and their relation to biogeochemical cycling, from the perspective of producing an abundance of nutritious food and modulating the nutrient flows in cultivated ecosystems.