[USCC] Vermicompost

[Tim Evans]

Earthworms are aerobic organisms.  They exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide
through their skins.  They will survive 25% CO2 atmospheres but they avoid a
zone of elevated CO2 if they can.  Activity decreases as O2 decreases.  From
the description in Edwards & Lofty "Biology of earthworms" the digestion
does not appear to be anything like ruminant fermentation, so, given all of
this, I don't think earthworms produce methane.  I have not looked up
information about aquatic worms.

Ihssen et al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2003 March; 69(3): 1655-1661. 
doi: 10.1128/AEM.69.3.1655-1661.2003 state "Thus, it is not surprising that
earthworms and anoxic earthworm gut homogenates do not emit methane"
(Karsten, G. R., and H. L. Drake. 1997. Denitrifying bacteria in the
earthworm gastrointestinal tract and in vivo emission of nitrous oxide (N2O)
by earthworms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63:1878-1882.).

regards

Tim

Dr Tim Evans
TIM EVANS ENVIRONMENT
Stonecroft, Park Lane, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 1EU England
tel/fax +44 (0) 1372 272 172 mobile +44 (0) 7816 833 991
tim at timevansenvironment.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Dev Chanda [mailto:chandadn at gmail.com] 
Sent: 11 December 2006 08:09
To: compost at composter.com
Subject: [USCC] Vermicompost

Does vermicompost by deep burrowing earthworms(Pheretima elongata) produce
methane gas? I was told that they don't because they create an aerobic
environment in the soil for microbial decomposition.



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