Non-native, invasive earthworms are altering soils throughout the world. Ecological cascades emanating from these changes stem from earthworm-caused changes in detritus processing occurring at a mid-point in the trophic pyramid, rather than the more familiar bottom-up or top-down cascades. They include fundamental changes (microcascades) in soil morphology, bulk density, nutrient leaching, and a shift to warmer, drier soil surfaces with loss of organic horizons. In North American temperate and boreal forests, microcascades cause effects of concern to society (macrocascades), including changes in CO2 sequestration, disturbance regimes, soil quality, water quality, forest productivity, plant communities, and wildlife habitat, and facilitation of other invasive species. Interactions among these changes create cascade complexes that interact with climate change and other environmental changes. The diversity of cascade effects, combined with the vast area invaded by earthworms, lead to regionally important changes in ecological functioning.

中文翻译：

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Side-swiped：蚯蚓入侵产生的生态级联

非本地的、入侵的蚯蚓正在改变世界各地的土壤。这些变化产生的生态级联源于蚯蚓引起的碎屑加工变化，发生在营养金字塔的中点，而不是更熟悉的自下而上或自上而下的级联。它们包括土壤形态、容重、养分浸出的根本变化（微级联），以及转向更温暖、更干燥的土壤表面，同时失去有机层。在北美温带和寒带森林中，微级联会引起社会关注的影响（大级联），包括 CO2 固存、干扰机制、土壤质量、水质、森林生产力、植物群落和野生动物栖息地的变化，以及其他入侵物种的便利化. 这些变化之间的相互作用产生了与气候变化和其他环境变化相互作用的级联复合体。级联效应的多样性，加上蚯蚓入侵的广阔区域，导致区域生态功能发生重要变化。