蚯蚓与环境保护

Earthworms and environmental protection

蚯蚓是土壤中的主要动物类群 ,在生态系统系统中具有重要的功能。它们促进植物残枝落叶的降解 ,有机物质的分解和矿化这一复杂的过程 ,并具有混合土壤 ,改善土壤结构 ,提高土壤透气、排水和深层持水能力的作用。它们的这些作用与其生物量和 3种生态类型 (表层种、内层种和深层种 )密切相关。根据它们的自然生态作用 ,我们可以有意识地利用合适的蚯蚓物种来为环境保护服务。它们是很好的土壤环境指示生物 ,我们可以利用蚯蚓 ,通过实验室或田间的生态毒理学试验来评价土壤中化学污染物的生态毒性。由于蚯蚓具有通过与微生物协同作用加速有机物质分解转化的功能 ,我们可以利用蚯蚓来处理有机垃圾——蚯蚓分解处理。城市生活污水的蚯蚓过滤处理是新近开发的一项利用蚯蚓的新技术 ,它可能具有更广泛的应用领域。本文主要介绍蚯蚓及其在自然生态系统中的功能和在环境保护方面的应用 ,同时指出土壤生物多样性的保护在环境保护上的重要性。

As a main group of animals in the soil, the earthworms play important functions in ecosystem. They contribute to the complex processes of decomposition, to the degradation of plant debris and to the mineralization of organic materials. They mix the soil, improve soil aeration, drainage and moisture holding capacity and help to maintain soil structure. These functions link up with their biomass and ecological categories: epigeic, endogeic and anecic. By exploiting these functions, we can consciously use suitable earthworms for the purpose of environmental protection. They are good bioindicators of soil environment, for which the ecotoxicological test by using earthworms both in laboratory and in field are set up for the evaluation of chemical contaminants in the soil. They can considerably accelerate the decomposition of organic materials by the synergy with microorganism.A new technology of vermicomposition is developed for the treatment of organic waste. It seems that another new technology by using earthworms for the treatment of urban sewage, vermifiltration, is developing,which will have a wider application. The author gives a general presentation for the earthworms and a general review for their applications in environmental protection in this paper. The author also indicates the importance of protection of soil biodiversity for the environmental protection.