Meiotic prophase length modulates Tel1-dependent DNA double-strand break interference.

During meiosis, genetic recombination is initiated by the formation of many DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) catalysed by the evolutionarily conserved topoisomerase-like enzyme, Spo11, in preferred genomic sites known as hotspots. DSB formation activates the Tel1/ATM DNA damage responsive (DDR) kinase, locally inhibiting Spo11 activity in adjacent hotspots via a process known as DSB interference. Intriguingly, in S. cerevisiae, over short genomic distances (<15 kb), Spo11 activity displays characteristics of concerted activity or clustering, wherein the frequency of DSB formation in adjacent hotspots is greater than expected by chance. We have proposed that clustering is caused by a limited number of sub-chromosomal domains becoming primed for DSB formation. Here, we provide evidence that DSB clustering is abolished when meiotic prophase timing is extended via deletion of the NDT80 transcription factor. We propose that extension of meiotic prophase enables most cells, and therefore most chromosomal domains within them, to reach an equilibrium state of similar Spo11-DSB potential, reducing the impact that priming has on estimates of coincident DSB formation. Consistent with this view, when Tel1 is absent but Ndt80 is present and thus cells are able to rapidly exit meiotic prophase, genome-wide maps of Spo11-DSB formation are skewed towards pericentromeric regions and regions that load pro-DSB factors early-revealing regions of preferential priming-but this effect is abolished when NDT80 is deleted. Our work highlights how the stochastic nature of Spo11-DSB formation in individual cells within the limited temporal window of meiotic prophase can cause localised DSB clustering-a phenomenon that is exacerbated in tel1Δ cells due to the dual roles that Tel1 has in DSB interference and meiotic prophase checkpoint control.

A "Dirty" Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils.

Amazonian rainforests, once thought to be pristine wilderness, are increasingly known to have been widely inhabited, modified, and managed prior to European arrival, by human populations with diverse cultural backgrounds. Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are fertile soils found throughout the Amazon Basin, created by pre-Columbian societies with sedentary habits. Much is known about the chemistry of these soils, yet their zoology has been neglected. Hence, we characterized soil fertility, macroinvertebrate communities, and their activity at nine archeological sites in three Amazonian regions in ADEs and adjacent reference soils under native forest (young and old) and agricultural systems. We found 673 morphospecies and, despite similar richness in ADEs (385 spp.) and reference soils (399 spp.), we identified a tenacious pre-Columbian footprint, with 49% of morphospecies found exclusively in ADEs. Termite and total macroinvertebrate abundance were higher in reference soils, while soil fertility and macroinvertebrate activity were higher in the ADEs, and associated with larger earthworm quantities and biomass. We show that ADE habitats have a unique pool of species, but that modern land use of ADEs decreases their populations, diversity, and contributions to soil functioning. These findings support the idea that humans created and sustained high-fertility ecosystems that persist today, altering biodiversity patterns in Amazonia.

Biodiversity loss along a gradient of deforestation in Amazonian agricultural landscapes.

Assessing how much management of agricultural landscapes, in addition to protected areas, can offset biodiversity erosion in the tropics is a central issue for conservation that still requires cross-taxonomic and landscape-scale studies. We measured the effects of Amazonia deforestation and subsequent land-use intensification in 6 agricultural areas (landscape scale), where we sampled plants and 4 animal groups (birds, earthworms, fruit flies, and moths). We assessed land-use intensification with a synthetic index based on landscape metrics (total area and relative percentages of land uses, edge density, mean patch density and diversity, and fractal structures at 5 dates from 1990 to 2007). Species richness decreased consistently as agricultural intensification increased despite slight differences in the responses of sampled groups. Globally, in moderately deforested landscapes species richness was relatively stable, and there was a clear threshold in biodiversity loss midway along the intensification gradient, mainly linked to a drop in forest cover and quality. Our results suggest anthropogenic landscapes with high-quality forest covering >40 % of the surface area may prevent biodiversity loss in Amazonia.

CC-seq: Nucleotide-Resolution Mapping of Spo11 DNA Double-Strand Breaks in S. cerevisiae Cells.

During meiosis, Spo11 generates DNA double-strand breaks to induce recombination, becoming covalently attached to the 5' ends on both sides of the break during this process. Such Spo11 "covalent complexes" are transient in wild-type cells, but accumulate in nuclease mutants unable to initiate repair. The CC-seq method presented here details how to map the location of these Spo11 complexes genome-wide with strand-specific nucleotide-resolution accuracy in synchronized Saccharomyces cerevisiae meiotic cells.

Soil macrofauna communities in Brazilian land-use systems.

Background: Soil animal communities include more than 40 higher-order taxa, representing over 23% of all described species. These animals have a wide range of feeding sources and contribute to several important soil functions and ecosystem services. Although many studies have assessed macroinvertebrate communities in Brazil, few of them have been published in journals and even fewer have made the data openly available for consultation and further use. As part of ongoing efforts to synthesise the global soil macrofauna communities and to increase the amount of openly-accessible data in GBIF and other repositories related to soil biodiversity, the present paper provides links to 29 soil macroinvertebrate datasets covering 42 soil fauna taxa, collected in various land-use systems in Brazil. A total of 83,085 georeferenced occurrences of these taxa are presented, based on quantitative estimates performed using a standardised sampling method commonly adopted worldwide to collect soil macrofauna populations, i.e. the TSBF (Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme) protocol. This consists of digging soil monoliths of 25 x 25 cm area, with handsorting of the macroinvertebrates visible to the naked eye from the surface litter and from within the soil, typically in the upper 0-20 cm layer (but sometimes shallower, i.e. top 0-10 cm or deeper to 0-40 cm, depending on the site). The land-use systems included anthropogenic sites managed with agricultural systems (e.g. pastures, annual and perennial crops, agroforestry), as well as planted forests and native vegetation located mostly in the southern Brazilian State of Paraná (96 sites), with a few additional sites in the neighbouring states of São Paulo (21 sites) and Santa Catarina (five sites). Important metadata on soil properties, particularly soil chemical parameters (mainly pH, C, P, Ca, K, Mg, Al contents, exchangeable acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, Base Saturation and, infrequently, total N), particle size distribution (mainly % sand, silt and clay) and, infrequently, soil moisture and bulk density, as well as on human management practices (land use and vegetation cover) are provided. These data will be particularly useful for those interested in estimating land-use change impacts on soil biodiversity and its implications for below-ground foodwebs, ecosystem functioning and ecosystem service delivery. New information: Quantitative estimates are provided for 42 soil animal taxa, for two biodiversity hotspots: the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. Data are provided at the individual monolith level, representing sampling events ranging from February 2001 up to September 2016 in 122 sampling sites and over 1800 samples, for a total of 83,085 ocurrences.

Three new Glossoscolex (Annelida: Crassiclitellata: Glossoscolecidae) in the truncatus group from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Three new earthworm species of Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) in the truncatus species group (intra-clitellar male pores on segment 17) are described: Glossoscolex araucariaensis sp. nov., Glossoscolex cardosoi sp. nov., and Glossoscolex santarosaensis sp. nov. from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The three earthworm species were distinguished based on the shape and position of the copulatory pouches (all species), the shape of the calciferous glands (G. santarosaensis) and by the presence of tubercula pubertatis and seminal vesicles restricted to segment 12 (G. cardosoi). All are endogeic, unpigmented and were found in low abundances in the topsoil (0-20 cm depth) of Araucaria forest and plantations, a lowland grass pasture and a shrubby grassland, respectively, and are known only from their type-localities. A table containing some of the main internal and external morphological characteristics of the 29 species/subspecies of the Glossoscolex truncatus group is provided in order to assist comparisons within species. Glossoscolex grandis ibirai Righi, 1971 is raised to species rank due to longer extent of clitellum and presence of genital markings, compared to Glossoscolex grandis (Michaelsen, 1892); furthermore, a new subgroup (matogrossensis) of Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) is proposed to accomodate G. matogrossensis Righi, 1984, with intraclitellar male pores in 15/16. Some considerations on the ecological and taxonomic affinities within the truncatus group are presented, but further studies, particularly genetic are needed in order to better assess phylogenetic relationships within Glossoscolex (Glossoscolex) species groups.

New Ocnerodrilidae genera, species and records from Brazil (Annelida: Crassiclitellata).

We describe three new species of Eukerria, six of Kerriona, one of Ocnerodrilus and two of Belladrilus (Clitellata: Ocnerodrilidae) from Brazil, mostly from wet habitats including bromeliad leaf axils, plus some from forest soils in Bahia state. We also provide new morphological and distribution data on Kerriona luederwaldti Michaelsen, 1924. We describe the new genus Pauqueba and its two new species, both from bromeliad leaf axils and forest floor litter in the state of Bahia. It has two pairs of calciferous glands, the balantine reduction of the male terminalia but spermathecae in ix, and no gizzard. The new genus Parabauba found in deeper (30 cm) soil layers is distinctive for the combination of two pairs of calciferous glands, a large gizzard in v, acanthodriline male terminalia, and no typholosole. The new genus Diplomoela from a mesic soil in Bahia is meronephric, unusually large for the Ocnerodrilidae, and has two well-developed gizzards.

Earthworms in natural grasslands and agropastoral systems in the Brazilian Pampa.

In this study, we sampled grazed natural grassland and agropastoral systems in two regions (Alegrete and Aceguá) in the highly diverse Brazilian Pampa region which is undergoing significant change in land use cover. By hand sorting the soil, a total of five species were found, belonging to the families Glossoscolecidae (Glossoscolex sp.50 and Glossoscolex sp.51), Ocnerodrilidae (Kerriona sp.6 and Eukerria sp.3), and Lumbricidae (Aporrectodea trapezoides). The former four were identified as native-new to science-and the latter as exotic. Differences were observed in both earthworm species richness and abundance between regions and land-use systems, likely due to environmental conditions and agricultural practices, respectively. Agropastoral systems had higher abundance and species richness than natural grasslands, though these differences varied by location. This suggests that conversion from natural grassland to agropastoral systems can maintain native earthworms and, possibly, enhance ecosystem services. However, an exotic species was found in high abundance at one agropastoral site. These results highlight the need for additional biodiversity studies on earthworms in the Brazilian Pampa and for research on the impacts of land use changes in this region.

Earthworm species in different land use systems in the state of Goiás and the Federal District of Brazil.

The state of Goiás and the Federal District together cover an area of about 346 thousand km2, including the diversified Cerrado vegetation, also known as the Brazilian Savanna, a biodiversity hotspot with many endangered and endemic species. Much of the Cerrado has been converted to agriculture, but little is known of its earthworms, and the impacts of land use management and agricultural practices on their density and diversity. In the present paper we review the known earthworm species in Goiás and the Federal District based on historical and museum records, and update information on their distribution and populations in different counties and land use systems with data from recent samplings. Five additional species are reported here for the first time, raising the total to 12 species currently known from Goiás, from the families Benhamiidae (1), Glossoscolecidae (1), Megascolecidae (3), Ocnerodrilidae (2) and Rhinodrilidae (5). In the Federal District, an additional 10 species are reported, bringing the total to 23 earthworm species, belonging to the families Benhamiidae (4), Eudrilidae (1), Glossoscolecidae (2), Ocnerodrilidae (1), Lumbricidae (2), Megascolecidae (1) and Rhinodrilidae (12). Native species in Goiás (6) were found in areas with lesser disturbance, such as in native forest and flooded areas/river banks, a phenomenon also observed in the Federal District. On the other hand, the exotic and peregrine species found in Goiás (6) and in the Federal District (9) dominated in disturbed sites, such as perennial crops, agroforestry, annual crops, urban areas, secondary forests, pastures and agropastoral systems, among others. Given the many new species found and the extension of Goiás and the Federal District, further effort is needed to adequately characterize the earthworm fauna of the region, from where many other species are expected.

Earthworms from natural and managed ecosystems in Southern Bahia, Brazil.

The earthworms (Crassiclitellata) of the Northern Atlantic Forest region are poorly known, and many new species are expected to be found in the region. Hence, quantitative and qualitative samples were taken in the Atlantic Forest region of southern Bahia State, Brazil, at eight sites to assess species presence and abundance in different land uses (forests, pastures, plantations). Earthworms were also qualitatively collected at an additional eight sites. Only one to two species per site were found in quantitative samples, while qualitative samples generally resulted in higher species recoveries, with highest richness observed at the native Atlantic Forest of Veracel in Porto Seguro. Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857) was the dominant species at all sites and in most land use systems, probably favored by human migration and agricultural activities; it was only absent in one primary forest site where native Ocnerodrilidae species predominated. In total at least 14 species were found of which eight were new, belonging to the genus Rhinodrilus and three new genera in the Ocnerodrilidae family (Pauqueba, Parabauba and Diplomoela). Contrary to sites in Southern and Southeastern Brazil, where many native species belong to the Glossoscolecidae family, in southern Bahia, Ocnerodrilidae species tend to be more prevalent, occupying various habitats. More intensive sampling of these habitats, including surface litter, in and under fallen logs and dead tree trunks, under rocks, in bromeliad leaf tanks and deeper soil layers is essential in order to properly characterize earthworm communities in Brazilian Atlantic Forests.

Earthworms (Clitellata, Megadrili) of the world: an updated checklist of valid species and families, with notes on their distribution.

In the current paper we present an updated checklist of all the megadrile earthworms (Crassiclitellata: Annelida) in the world, and notes on the distribution of families worldwide. Biogeographic responses to geological phenomena including plate tectonics, as well as to past and present climate and habitat distributions, are the main factors determining the present distribution of earthworm families. A total of ca. 5,738 species/subspecies (5,406 species and 332 unique subspecies; i.e., not counting the nomino-typical subspecies) belonging to 23 families (including one non-crassiclitellate family: Moniligastridae) are currently recognized worldwide, of which three families (Tritogeniidae and Kazimierzidae from Southern Africa and Arecoidae, a new family from Brazil described herein), 35 genera and close to 1200 new taxa (including subspecies) were described in the 21st century. Nonetheless, the large number of still undescribed species will likely increase this value to well over 8,000 species. Ten families are monospecific and/or monogeneric and have a mostly restricted distribution. On the other hand, more than 87 widespread cosmopolitan species have been catalogued, some of them with important invasive potential, belonging mainly to families Lumbricidae, Acanthodrilidae, Benhamiidae, Megascolecidae, Rhinodrilidae and Ocnerodrilidae. Taxonomic housekeeping was performed for the preoccupied Rhinodrilidae genus Tairona Righi - herein substituted by Taironina nom. nov., and Guarani camaqua Rodríguez & Lima was reinstated and removed from synonymy with Criodrilus lacuum Hoffmeister, 1845, resulting in a wider definition of the Almidae family. Furthermore, Amynthas maximalis nom. nov. is proposed herein as a substitution name for the preoccupied name Amynthas maximus Qiu & Dong, 2019, and Arecoidae is proposed herein as a new monotypic family for the aquamegadrile species Areco reco Righi, Ayres & Bittencourt, 1978.

Earthworm richness in no-tillage farming systems and riparian forests in Southern and Southeastern Brazil.

No-tillage (NT) is a soil conservation management practice that can sustain important earthworm populations due the maintenance of soil cover and absence of soil disturbance. Sites with NT can also support native earthworm species, but few studies have identified the earthworms collected under NT. Therefore, the present study evaluated earthworm diversity in 14 sites under NT and seven with riparian forest (RF) in Atlantic Forest located in Rolândia, Cambé, Toledo (Paraná), Coxilha, Sarandi (Rio Grande do Sul) and Itaí (São Paulo). The earthworms were collected by handsorting using quantitative and qualitative methods. The 1471 individuals collected were classified into 23 species belonging to five families: Glossoscolex sp.71, sp.72, sp.73 and sp.74, Fimoscolex sp.23 sp.24 and sp.25 (Glossoscolecidae); Pontoscolex corethrurus, Urobenus brasiliensis (Rhinodrilidae); Haplodrilus sp.1 and sp.2, Ocnerodrilidae sp.1, sp.15, sp.16, sp.48, sp.49 and sp.50 (Ocnerodrilidae); Amynthas gracilis, Metaphire californica (Megascolecidae); Dichogaster affinis, D. gracilis, D. bolaui and D. saliens (Benhamiidae). Of the total, 15 were native and eight were exotic species. In general NT sites had higher species richness than the forest sites (except at Itaí), mainly due to the invasion of NT fields by exotic species, particularly Ocnerodrilidae sp.1 and Dichogaster spp. Six of the seven forests had native species, but only four NT fields had native earthworms, and these were generally found in low abundance.

Urban green areas as earthworm species maintainers in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.

Urban green areas can have a high impact on soil fauna due the environmental changes caused by human activities. This work aimed to assess earthworm populations in urban sites in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Earthworms were sampled in two urban sites: the Campus Ecoville of the Universidade Positivo and the Casa Verde space and in two land use systems (Grass Lawn and Native Vegetation), in the summer of 2018 and 2019 and winter of 2019. A total of 1052 individuals were found, belonging to five families and 12 species were identified, of which five are native: Glossoscolex sp.55, Fimoscolex sp.36, Fimoscolex sp.37 (Glossoscolecidae), Andiorrhinus duseni (Rhinodrilidae) and Ocnerodrilidae sp.43 (Ocnerodrilidae) and seven are exotic species: Amynthas corticis, Amynthas morrisi, Metaphire californica, Metaphire schmardae (Megascolecidae), Dendrodrilus rubidus (Lumbricidae) and Pontoscolex corethrurus (Rhinodrilidae). Of the five native species found, four are new species and will be described in the future and the specie A. duseni belongs to the group known as giant earthworms (minhocuçu) with specimens larger than 30cm. Despite the predominance of exotic species (n=932) compared to native species (n=114), the presence of new species may indicate that the managed environments can preserve native species. Moreover, the difference in the total number (native vs. exotic) can be attributed to the ability of the exotic species to survive human disturbances.

Earthworm communities in long-term no-tillage systems and secondary forest fragments in Paraná, Southern Brazil.

The area destined for agricultural production in Paraná state in Brazil is ~6 million hectares, of which 79% are under no-tillage systems (NTS) that can positively affect earthworm populations. Furthermore, earthworm abundance and richness can be valuable soil quality. This study assessed earthworm communities in long-term no-tillage sites (NTS) and nearby secondary Atlantic Forest (SF) fragments. Sampling was performed in June 2018 and May 2019 using the quantitative Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility handsorting method (ISO-TSBF), complemented by qualitative sampling in three municipalities: Faxinal, Mauá da Serra and Palmeira, in NTS and SF. Eleven earthworm species, belonging to five families (Benhamiidae, Glossoscolecidae, Megascolecidae, Ocnerodrilidae, and Rhinodrilidae) were found along with seven native species (Glossoscolex sp.22, Glossoscolex sp.23, Fimoscolex sp.21, Fimoscolex sp.24, Fimoscolex sp.42, Andiorrhinus duseni and Urobenus brasiliensis) and four exotic or cosmopolitan species (Dichogaster gracilis, Amynthas gracilis, Metaphire californica and Pontoscolex corethrurus). The cosmopolitan P. corethrurus dominated Faxinal and Mauá da Serra, while in Palmeira Fimoscolex and Glossoscolex were the most abundant. Six species belonging to Glossoscolex and Fimoscolex were new to science and must be described. Overall, 239 individuals were found. In 2018 126 individuals were found (76 in NTS and 50 in SF) and in 2019, only 112 individuals were found (45 in NTS and 67 in SF). The highest earthworm abundance was in Faxinal (123 individuals), with 76 individuals in NTS and 47 in SF. In Mauá da Serra the same pattern was observed (SF>NTS), while in Palmeira in overall, fewer individuals (38) were collected (24 in NTS and 14 in SF). The NTS at Faxinal and SF Mauá da Serra in 2019 had only/more exotic/cosmopolitan species, while at the other dates and sites >50% of the specimens sampled were native species. Overall, forests had more native species than exotics: in 2018, natives represented > 75% of all specimens, but in 2019 both Faxinal and Mauá da Serra had more exotic species (> 65%), while at Palmeira, they represented 50% of the individuals. Earthworm total biomass for forest sites was higher in Faxinal (3.2 g) and NTS in Mauá da Serra (1.7 g) in 2019. Overall, the total biomass was higher in SF sites than NTS. Using a classification available for earthworm populations in no-tillage systems, all three sites were considered to have poor quality in terms of abundance (ind m-2), while for species richness, they were considered to have moderate (Faxinal and Mauá da Serra) and good quality (Palmeira).

Amazonian earthworm biodiversity is heavily impacted by ancient and recent human disturbance.

Despite the importance of earthworms for soil formation, more is needed to know about how Pre-Columbian modifications to soils and the landscape. Gaining a deeper understanding is essential for comprehending the historical drivers of earthworm communities and the development of effective conservation strategies in the Amazon rainforest. Human disturbance can significantly impact earthworm diversity, especially in rainforest soils, and in the particular case of the Amazonian rainforest, both recent and ancient anthropic practices may be important. Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are fertile soils found throughout the Amazon Basin, created by sedentary habits and intensification patterns of pre-Colombian societies primarily developed in the second part of the Holocene period. We have sampled earthworm communities in three Brazilian Amazonian (ADEs) and adjacent reference soils (REF) under old and young forests and monocultures. To better assess taxonomic richness, we used morphology and the barcode region of the COI gene to identify juveniles and cocoons and delimit Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs). Here we suggest using Integrated Operational Taxonomical units (IOTUs) which combine both morphological and molecular data and provide a more comprehensive assessment of diversity, while MOTUs only rely on molecular data. A total of 970 individuals were collected, resulting in 51 taxonomic units (IOTUs, MOTUs, and morphospecies combined). From this total, 24 taxonomic units were unique to REF soils, 17 to ADEs, and ten were shared between both soils. The highest richness was found in old forest sites for ADEs (12 taxonomic units) and REFs (21 taxonomic units). The beta-diversity calculations reveal a high species turnover between ADEs and REF soils, providing evidence that ADEs and REFs possess distinct soil biota. Furthermore, results suggest that ADE sites, formed by Pre-Columbian human activities, conserve a high number of native species in the landscape and maintain a high abundance, despite their long-term nature.

Emission of methane by Eudrilus eugeniae and other earthworms from Brazil.

Earthworms emit denitrification-derived nitrous oxide and fermentation-derived molecular hydrogen. The present study demonstrated that the earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae, obtained in Brazil, emitted methane. Other worms displayed a lesser or no capacity to emit methane. Gene and transcript analyses of mcrA (encoding the alpha subunit of methyl-CoM reductase) in gut contents of E. eugeniae suggested that Methanosarcinaceae, Methanobacteriaceae, and Methanomicrobiaceae might be associated with this emission.

Response to Comment on "Global distribution of earthworm diversity".

James et al claim that there are areas of concern in our work. We believe that they have misunderstood the methods behind our paper and that differences in scale have been overlooked. Once those misunderstandings have been resolved, their remaining criticisms are either not sustained or agree with our statements. To advance the field, we recommend additional sampling using comparable methodologies in underrepresented areas.

Global data on earthworm abundance, biomass, diversity and corresponding environmental properties.

Earthworms are an important soil taxon as ecosystem engineers, providing a variety of crucial ecosystem functions and services. Little is known about their diversity and distribution at large spatial scales, despite the availability of considerable amounts of local-scale data. Earthworm diversity data, obtained from the primary literature or provided directly by authors, were collated with information on site locations, including coordinates, habitat cover, and soil properties. Datasets were required, at a minimum, to include abundance or biomass of earthworms at a site. Where possible, site-level species lists were included, as well as the abundance and biomass of individual species and ecological groups. This global dataset contains 10,840 sites, with 184 species, from 60 countries and all continents except Antarctica. The data were obtained from 182 published articles, published between 1973 and 2017, and 17 unpublished datasets. Amalgamating data into a single global database will assist researchers in investigating and answering a wide variety of pressing questions, for example, jointly assessing aboveground and belowground biodiversity distributions and drivers of biodiversity change.

Climate change effects on earthworms - a review.

Climate change can have a plethora of effects on organisms above and below the ground in terrestrial ecosystems. Given the tremendous biodiversity in the soil and the many ecosystem functions governed by soil organisms, the drivers of soil biodiversity have received increasing attention. Various climatic factors like temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, as well as extreme climate events like drought and flood have been shown to alter the composition and functioning of communities in the soil. Earthworms are important ecosystem engineers in the soils of temperate and tropical climates and play crucial roles for many ecosystem services, including decomposition, nutrient cycling, and crop yield. Here, we review the published literature on climate change effects on earthworm communities and activity. In general, we find highly species- and ecological group-specific responses to climate change, which are likely to result in altered earthworm community composition in future ecosystems. Earthworm activity, abundance, and biomass tend to increase with increasing temperature at sufficiently high soil water content, while climate extremes like drought and flooding have deleterious effects. Changing climate conditions may facilitate the invasion of earthworms at higher latitudes and altitudes, while dryer and warmer conditions may limit earthworm performance in other regions of the world. The present summary of available information provides a first baseline for predictions of future earthworm distribution. It also reveals the shortage of studies on interacting effects of multiple global change effects on earthworms, such as potential context-dependent effects of climate change at different soil pollution levels and across ecosystem types.

A neotype for Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857) (Clitellata).

Following many decades of work on the taxonomy, biology and ecology of the globally-distributed tropical earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857), morphological and molecular data have shown that the stability and effectiveness of nomenclature depends on the designation of a neotype from the type locality. We do that, with all the required justifications, and provide sufficient information to permit the correct identification of this species.