Earthworm invasions often reduce biodiversity and affect the ability of ecosystems to perform ecosystem functions. Over the past few decades, European lumbricid species have spread widely in natural habitats in Western Siberia, without completely displacing the native species. The aim of the present experiment is to study the survival, reproductive potential, vertical distribution, abundance, and biomass of Aporrectodea caliginosa and Lumbricus rubellus invasive species for the region and the native species Eisenia nordenskioldi and their influence on each other. For this purpose, winter and vegetation experiments were conducted in mesocosms simulating the real situation of invasions in the same communities on the same types of soils with the same amount and composition of litter. The authors found that the native species was significantly inferior to A. caliginosa in reproduction rate, number of offspring, and final biomass, but had an advantage over L. rubellus. The native species was positively influenced by the presence of A. caliginosa. In the experiment, there was a significant rejuvenation of the populations of the studied species, as well as an increase in abundance and relative mass under interaction conditions compared to mono variants. The native species had advantages over the invasive species in terms of winter survival. The natural volume of litter used in the experiment was insufficient for L. rubellus. According to the results of the experiment, it can be assumed that the spread of L. rubellus will continue to be limited to non-freezing biotopes rich in organic matter. A. caliginosa will spread in natural communities and agrocenoses of Western Siberia.

IR spectrometry is successfully used for the taxonomic identification of various groups of invertebrates: butterflies, flies, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, weevils, and termites. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the fundamental possibility of taxonomic identification of earthworms based on the study of the functional-group composition of their bodies by the method of IR-Fourier spectroscopy. Seven species of earthworms from five genera were the objects of the study: Aporrectodea caliginosa, Eisenia fetida, Eisenia nordenskioldi, Lumbricus rubellus, Rhiphaeodrilus diplotetrathecus, Octolasion lacteum, Eisenia ventripapillata. IR absorption spectra were registered on an FT-801 IR-Fourier spectrometer in the range of 500–4000 cm–1. The position, intensity, and area of the absorption bands were determined on all spectra. The maximum differences between individual species in intensity and position of protein and nucleic acid absorption bands were established. Using the principal component method, it was shown that the classification was based on the characteristics of the absorption bands of stretching and bending vibrations of methyl and methylene groups, as well as amide groups in the structure of worms. At the same time, the division of earthworms into subgroups with similar spectral characteristics could be explained by several reasons: their origin, kinship, and the influence of the environment. The data obtained during the study confirm the possibility of using IR spectrometry for the identification of earthworms.

Earthworms in forests ensure the return of nutrients to the soil by recycling litter. Climate warming promotes changes in the feeding ecology of earthworms, which leads to changes in soil nutrient cycling due to the saturation of biotopes with invasive plants and lumbricids. This study explored the use of mid-infrared (IR) spectrometry as a technique for identifying earthworm dietary preferences. In a controlled laboratory-based experiment, we examined how consumption of three different types of leaf litter — Populus tremula, P. sibirica, and Acer negundo — affects the IR spectra of three earthworm species — Eisenia nana, E. nordenskioldi, and E. ventripapillata. The results demonstrated that body composition changes in each earthworm species indicated the specific type of leaf litter ingested. Therefore, mid-infrared spectrometry is promising as a method for investigating the feeding preferences of earthworms.

Earthworm invasions often reduce biodiversity and affect the ability of ecosystems to perform ecosystem functions. Over the past few decades, European lumbricide species have spread widely in natural habitats in Western Siberia, without completely displacing the native species. The aim of the present experiment is to study the survival, reproductive potential, vertical distribution, abundance, and biomass of Aporrectodea caliginosa and Lumbricus rubellus invasive for the region and the native species Eisenia nordenskioldi and their influence on each other. For this purpose, winter and vegetation experiments were conducted in mesocosms simulating the real situation of invasions in the same communities on the same types of soils with the same amount and composition of litter. The authors found that the native species was significantly inferior to A. caliginosa in reproduction rate, number of offspring, and final biomass, but had an advantage over L. rubellus. The native species was positively influenced by the presence of A. caliginosa. In the experiment, there was a significant rejuvenation of the populations of the studied species, an increase in abundance and relative mass under interaction conditions compared to mono variants. The native species had advantages over the invasive species in terms of winter survival. The natural volume of litter used in the experiment was insufficient for L. rubellus. According to the results of the experiment, it can be assumed that the spread of L. rubellus will continue to be limited to non-freezing biotopes rich in organic matter. A. caliginosa will spread in natural communities and agrocenoses of Western Siberia.