City Dwellers: Earthworms in Urban Ecosystems

Urban ecosystems are often overlooked environments where earthworms thrive as hidden underground dwellers. This chapter explores the occurrence, diversity and ecological roles of earthworms in various urban settings, including parks, lawns, home gardens, buildings, and green infrastructures. It examines how earthworm species adapt to urban habitats and investigates the influence of human activities – such as soil compaction, chemical pollution, and habitat fragmentation – on earthworm populations. By comparing earthworm populations across rural–urban gradients, the review highlights how urbanization influences species distribution, abundance, and ecological functions. Integrating dispersed studies, reports and observation from diverse geographic regions, this chapter provides a comprehensive overview of how urbanization affects earthworm communities. It underscores the importance of maintaining earthworm populations in urban soils to promote sustainable urban green spaces, enhance soil quality, and support other urban biodiversity, including earthworm predators. Finally, the chapter emphasizes the educational value of earthworm biodiversity in cities and its usefulness for increased public awareness and engagement in urban ecological initiatives, conservation and sustainable urban planning. This chapter contributes to the broader understanding of urban ecology and biodiversity, as well as of urban soils and their functions.