A natural resources presentation entitled “Exotic Earthworm Invasion in Minnesota Hardwood Forests” is scheduled for 3 to 4 p.m. July 16 at the Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College Center for Research and Innovation Custom College, an off-campus facility located at 3801 Bemidji Avenue North.
The Bemidji Area Natural Resources Continuing Education Consortium presentation is open to the public and free of charge.
Presenting will be Lee Frelich, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Hardwood Ecology, St. Paul, and senior member of the graduate faculty in the Natural Resources Science and Management, Ecology and Conservation Biology programs.
“Exotic earthworms are ecosystem engineers that change the rules of existence for all other species of plants and animals,” said Frelich.
There are no native earthworms in Minnesota, but exotic earthworm species from Europe have invaded most of the state and they cause profound changes in the ecology of forests. They do so by consuming the forest floor duff, or leaf litter layer, leaving bare soil that is warmer, poorer in nutrients and compacted.
Many species of wildflowers and tree seedlings are negatively impacted by removal of the duff layer, and their reduced populations are more subject to excessive grazing by deer, leading to loss of native plant communities that are then replaced by invasive native and exotic plant species.
The information will be of interest and use to natural resource managers and has also been presented at meetings of master gardeners and other clubs interested in forest ecosystems.
Frelich is the author of 60 scientific publications on forest ecology and has been listed among the top one percent of all scientists in the world by the Science Citation Index in the Ecology and Environment category.
The talk is part of an on-going series of Bemidji Area Natural Resources Continuing Education Consortium presentations, usually offered on the third Monday of each month. Groups helping organize the natural resources consortium include the BSU Center for Environmental, Earth and Space Studies; the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Norbord Minnesota; the Chippewa National Forest; Beltrami County; the Leech Lake Division of Resource Management; Ainsworth; and the Red Lake Reservation.
The CRICC is an off-campus facility operated by BSU and NTC designed to increase collaboration between the University, the College, business and industry and other sectors of the region. The newly aligned outreach resources of the organization offer greater variety and easier access to customized training and business services in addition to providing a one-stop-shop, linking external organizations to the region’s higher education knowledge base.
Individuals who wish to be added to a mailing list for the series or have questions should contact the Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College Center for Research and Innovation Custom College, Bemidji State University, 1500 Birchmont Dr. NE, Bemidji, MN 56601 (218-755-4900; toll free, 1-888-738-3224) email, cri@bemidjistate.edu.