The Biological Recording Company was commissioned by the University of Greenwich to undertake a multi-year earthworm survey at the Southwood Site of its Avery Hill Campus, contributing data to support the University’s Biodiversity Action Plan. Surveying began in 2024 and is intended to continue until 2027.
Using standardised soil pit surveys alongside targeted microhabitat searches, the project is building an understanding of the earthworm species present across the campus while investigating differences between grassland habitats and establishing a baseline for future monitoring.
The Challenge
Earthworms play an important role in healthy soils, contributing to processes including decomposition, nutrient cycling, soil structure, aeration and water movement. Different earthworm functional groups perform different roles within these processes, making the composition of an earthworm community potentially useful when assessing soil biodiversity.
The University of Greenwich wanted to better understand the earthworm populations present at Avery Hill and generate biodiversity data that could help inform management of the estate. The project also provided an opportunity to investigate earthworm communities associated with different grassland habitats, including an existing wildflower meadow and areas of amenity grassland.
Our Approach
The Biological Recording Company established an earthworm monitoring programme at the Southwood Site of Avery Hill Campus. Baseline surveys were undertaken in October 2024, with repeat surveys scheduled in October/November for the following 3 years.
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Standardised soil pit surveys were initially undertaken within the wildflower meadow and a regularly mown amenity lawn, with an additional area of unmown amenity grassland incorporated into the survey in 2025. Each survey consisted of ten soil pits, with excavated soil hand-sorted and adult earthworms collected for identification.
These surveys were complemented by targeted searches of above-ground microhabitats, including compost, deadwood and other surface refuges. This enabled the project to detect species, particularly litter dwellers, that are less likely to be encountered through soil pit sampling.
All earthworm records generated by the surveys were submitted to the National Earthworm Recording Scheme through iRecord and have passed the scheme’s verification process.
What did we find?
Across the 2024 and 2025 surveys, 950 individual earthworms were recorded, including 312 adult specimens identified to species level. A total of 13 species were found, including three species considered rare and one non-native species. All five earthworm functional groups were represented within the assemblage.
Two particularly significant finds were Allolobophora icterica and Aporrectodea nocturna. Both are considered rare in the UK and are identified as London Priority Species within the London Local Nature Recovery Strategy, associated with the Parks and Open Spaces species assemblage.
Allolobophora icterica is a rare deep bioturbator that prefers grassland habitats, particularly synanthropic sites such as amenity lawns and parks.
Although considered rare nationally, this species is commonly recorded in grassland habitats across London, suggesting it may be under-recorded in parks and urban grasslands elsewhere in the UK.
Aporrectodea nocturna is an intense tunneller species that closely resembles A. longa and is thought to favour grassland habitats.
Although currently classified as rare, relatively little is known about its ecology, as it was only recognised as a distinct species relatively recently. Its apparent rarity should therefore be interpreted with caution.
Murchieona muldali, another species considered rare, was also recorded. This small soil-dwelling earthworm can easily be overlooked and may therefore be more widespread than existing records suggest.
The project has also allowed comparisons between different grassland habitats. Analysis of the 2024 surveys found no statistically significant difference in either earthworm abundance or species diversity between the wildflower meadow and the amenity lawn. Neither of the two London Priority Species was recorded within the existing wildflower meadow during either survey year.
The project also established an important baseline against which future monitoring can be compared, while providing evidence to help inform future park management decisions.
Project Outcomes
The project has established an earthworm baseline for the Southwood Site against which future surveys can be compared, while identifying a diverse assemblage that includes species of conservation significance.
A total of 40 new earthworm species occurrence records have been submitted to the National Earthworm Recording Scheme. These records are subsequently shared locally through Greenspace Information for Greater London, nationally through the NBN Atlas and internationally through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
The findings have also generated practical recommendations for future habitat management. The presence of Allolobophora icterica and Aporrectodea nocturna provides site-specific evidence relevant to meadow creation within the London Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Recommendations include appropriate management of species-rich grassland, prompt removal of cuttings following meadow management, retention of deadwood and leaf litter where appropriate, and minimising unnecessary soil disturbance and compaction.
With further monitoring planned until 2027, the project will continue to build evidence about the earthworm communities at Avery Hill and provide data to support biodiversity management across the campus.
Download the full report
This article provides an overview of the findings from the Avery Hill Campus Earthworm Survey Report. The full report includes the complete methodology, statistical analyses, species accounts, site-by-site results, and recommendations for urban park management for earthworms.
Download the full report below
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