Darwin's Classics on Earthworms

San Bernardino, California: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017. Reprint Edition . Trade Paperback. As New. 6" x 9. 160 Pages. Brand new condition. Originally published by Willim Clowes and Sons, Limited, London and Beccles. The last book Charles Darwin wrote, this classic on earthworms was a bestseller in that day from the start--selling just as many copies as Darwin's book on the origin of the species. Although Darwin began his observations on earthworms as a young man, it was only later in life that he returned to his worm pursuits. At the time when Darwin started looking at the worms, no one appreciated the role they had in agriculture. In fact, most people thought earthworms were pests. But Darwin was convinced they were valuable for turning over the soil, in part by chewing it up and pooping it out, thereby making it more fertile. As Darwin discovered--and explained in this book--earthworms are major contributors to soil biodiversity, are significant ecosystem engineers in terrestrial soils, and represent a large component of the stock of natural soil capital from which a range of ecosystem services flow. A classic in its own right, this book is now regarded by some as a cornerstone of the literature on pedogenesis, particularly so for first documenting the importance of faunal mixing of soil.