Earthworms and Ecological Processes

Dr. Yahya Kooch is currently an Associate Professor of soil ecology at Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran. His scientific activities concern soil ecology as well as biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutients in ecosystems. His main research interests are i) pedodiversity in different land uses/covers, ii) linking soil biota communities with nutrient cycling processes, iii) Influence of soil properties and plant species on N availability, iv) evolution of organic matter in soils and sediments in relation to climate changes (sinks or sources of C?), and v) diversity of humus forms in terrestrial ecosystems.Prof. Dr. Yakov Kuzyakov is currently a Professor of soil sciences at Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Germany. His main research interests are in the fields of soil biogeochemistry, C and N turnover in the rhizosphere and other hotspots including drilosphere, and application of isotopes in ecosystem sciences. His expertise is soil ecology, biogeochemistry, rhizosphere ecology, soil degradation, C and N cycles, C sequestration, priming effects, nutrient mobilization, rhizodeposition, pedogenic carbonates, partitioning of CO2 fluxes, land use, low molecular weight organic substances, agroecology. stable and radioactive isotopes 'applications: labeling, natural abundance, isotope dilution, imaging.

• Part I: Global distribution of earthworms and ecological processes.- Invasive earthworms and agricultural ecosystem processes in America.- Earthworms in Canadian forest regions revisited.- Earthworm ecology in Northern European forests.- Earthworms, ecological processes and climate change.- Part II: Earthworm communities in managed ecosystems.- Earthworms: functional traits and soil properties.- Earthworms and humus forms.- Earthworms and soil nutrients in agricultural ecosystems.- City dwellers: Earthworms in urban ecosystems.- The role of earthworms in grasslands.- Earthworm contributions to agricultural sustainability.- Part III: Earthworms, ecosystem services and future perspectives.- The role of earthworms in soil formation.- Earthworms and soil biogeochemical processes.- Earthworm effects on microbial and enzyme activities in soil.- Earthworms for soil organic matter mineralization and carbon sequestration.- Role of earthworms on C and N biogeochemical cycles and potential links to greenhouse gas emissions.- Earthworm biopores for transport and nutrient cycling.- Earthworm role in soil food webs.- Earthworms as soil ecosystem engineers.- Advances in earthworms as biological remediators of polluted soils.- Perspectives on the study of earthworms: the global impact of earthworms on soil health and plant ecology.- Part IV: Conclusion.- Historical perspectives on the study of earthworms: global issue.