Summary
Edwards and Arancon's narrative review synthesises empirical evidence on earthworm population responses to conventional agricultural practices, including synthetic pesticide and fertiliser applications, tillage, and other soil management interventions. The authors frame earthworms as sensitive sentinel organisms for assessing soil quality and the sustainability of farming systems. The review reflects the state of knowledge circa 2022 on soil fauna as biological indicators, though geographic specificity and quantitative effect sizes require access to the full text.
Regional applicability
The applicability to United Kingdom farming practice and soil science depends on the geographic scope of the evidence synthesised in the review, which cannot be confirmed from the metadata provided. If the review includes temperate European studies, findings would be transferable to UK systems; confirmation requires full-text access.
Key measures
Earthworm abundance, diversity, and population responses to agrochemical exposure and soil disturbance practices
Outcomes reported
The review synthesises empirical evidence on how earthworm populations respond to synthetic pesticides, fertilisers, tillage, and other soil management practices. Earthworms are evaluated as sentinel organisms for assessing soil quality and farming system sustainability.
Topic tags
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