Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Worldwide earthworm research: a scientometric analysis, 2000–2015

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To understand the history and research status of earthworm, earthworm research citation data was collected from the Science Citation Index Expanded during the period from 2000 to 2015. Next, HistCite was used  to analyse the yearly output, country, institution, journal, citation impact and citation relationships in the field. Results indicated that the research of earthworm has increased during the studied 16-year period. The country with the highest research output was the USA, while the institution with the highest research output was the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The majority of articles and Total Location Citation Score (TLCS) values came from developed countries. Developed countries have more research advantages in this field than that of developing countries. The top three outputs journals were Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Pedobiologia and Applied Soil Ecology. The top 3 TLCS journals were the same as top outputs journals. Articles published with higher TLCS scores had a greater impact on the following research and played an important role in research development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  • Alandadi, I., & Behboudi, F. (2015). The effects of CuO and ZnO nanoparticles on survival, reproduction, absorption, overweight, and accumulation in Eisenia fetida earthworm tissues in two substrates. International Journal of Environmental Research, 9(1), 35–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Antisari, L. V., Laudicina, V. A., Gatti, A., et al. (2015). Soil microbial biomass carbon and fatty acid composition of earthworm Lumbricus rubellus after exposure to engineered nanoparticles. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 51(2), 261–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belote, R. T., & Jones, R. H. (2009). Tree leaf litter composition and nonnative earthworms influence plant invasion in experimental forest floor mesocosms. Biological Invasions, 11(4), 1045–1052.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bohlen, P. J., Groffman, P. M., Fahey, T. J., Fisk, M. C., Suarez, E., et al. (2004a). Ecosystem consequences of exotic earthworm invasion of north temperate forests. Ecosystems, 7(1), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bohlen, P. J., Pelletier, D. M., Groffman, P. M., Fahey, T. J., & Fisk, M. C. (2004b). Influence of earthworm invasion on redistribution and retention of soil carbon and nitrogen in northern temperate forests. Ecosystems, 7(1), 13–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bohlen, P. J., Scheu, S., Hale, C. M., McLean, M. A., Migge, S., et al. (2004c). Non-native invasive earthworms as agents of change in northern temperate forests. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2(8), 427–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonkowski, M., Griffiths, B. S., & Ritz, K. (2000). Food preferences of earthworms for soil fungi. Pedobiologia, 44(6), 666–676.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carnovale, D., Baker, G., Bissett, A., et al. (2015). Earthworm composition, diversity and biomass under three land use systems in south-eastern Australia. Applied Soil Ecology, 88, 32–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crittenden, S. J., Huerta, E., de Goede, R. G. M., et al. (2015). Earthworm assemblages as affected by field margin strips and tillage intensity: An on-farm approach. European Journal of Soil Biology, 66, 49–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobson, A., & Blossey, B. (2015). Earthworm invasion, white-tailed deer and seedling establishment in deciduous forests of north-eastern North America. Journal of Ecology, 103(1), 153–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dupont, L., Gresille, Y., Richard, B., et al. (2015). Dispersal constraints and fine-scale spatial genetic structure in two earthworm species. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 114(2), 335–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenhauer, N., Partsch, S., Parkinson, D., et al. (2007). Invasion of a deciduous forest by earthworms: Changes in soil chemistry, microflora, microarthropods and vegetation. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 39(5), 1099–1110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elmer, W. H., Lattao, C. V., & Pignatello, J. J. (2015). Active removal of biochar by earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris). Pedobiologia, 58(1), 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fahey, T. J., Yavitt, J. B., Sherman, R. E., et al. (2013). Earthworm effects on the incorporation of litter C and N into soil organic matter in a sugar maple forest. Ecological Applications, 23(5), 1185–1201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frelich, L. E., Hale, C. M., Scheu, S., et al. (2006). Earthworm invasion into previously earthworm-free temperate and boreal forests. Biological Invasions, 8(6), 1235–1245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujiwara, K., Takahashi, T., Nguyen, P., et al. (2015). Uptake and retention of radio-caesium in earthworms cultured in soil contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 139, 135–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, Y. H., Li, X. M., Guo, J. J., et al. (2015). Reproductive responses of the earthworm (Eisenia fetida) to antiparasitic albendazole exposure. Chemosphere, 120, 1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Givaudan, N., Wiegand, C., Le Bot, B., et al. (2014). Acclimation of earthworms to chemicals in anthropogenic landscapes, physiological mechanisms and soil ecological implications. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 73, 49–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grumiaux, F., Demuynck, S., Pernin, C., et al. (2015). Earthworm populations of highly metal-contaminated soils restored by fly ash-aided phytostabilisation. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 113, 183–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gundale, M. J. (2002). Influence of exotic earthworms on the soil organic horizon and the rare fern Botrychium mormo. Conservation Biology, 16(6), 1555–1561.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hackenberger, D. K., & Hackenberger, B. K. (2014). Earthworm community structure in grassland habitats differentiated by climate type during two consecutive seasons. European Journal of Soil Biology, 61, 27–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hale, C. M., Frelich, L. E., & Reich, P. B. (2005a). Exotic European earthworm invasion dynamics in northern hardwood forests of Minnesota, USA. Ecological Applications, 15(3), 848–860.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hale, C. M., Frelich, L. E., & Reich, P. B. (2006). Changes in hardwood forest understory plant communities in response to European earthworm invasions. Ecology, 87(7), 1637–1649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hale, C. M., Frelich, L. E., Reich, P. B., et al. (2005b). Effects of European earthworm invasion on soil characteristics in northern hardwood forests of Minnesota, USA. Ecosystems, 8(8), 911–927.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendrix, P. F., & Bohlen, P. J. (2002). Exotic earthworm invasions in North America: Ecological and policy implications. BioScience, 52(9), 801–811.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hlava, J., Hlavova, A., Hakl, J., et al. (2015) Earthworm responses to different reclamation processes in post opencast mining lands during succession. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187, 4108. doi:10.1007/s10661-014-4108-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holdsworth, A. R., Frelich, L. E., & Reich, P. B. (2007). Effects of earthworm invasion on plant species richness in northern hardwood forests. Conservation Biology, 21(4), 997–1008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hua, W., Li, Y., & Yuan, S. B. (2014). A quantitative analysis of Antarctic related articles in humanities and social sciences appearing in the world core journals. Scientometrics, 100, 273–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Idowu, A. B., Edema, M. O., & Adeyi, A. O. (2008). Gut microflora and microfauna of earthworm species in the soils of the research farms of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture, 25(3), 185–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kernecker, M., Whalen, J. K., & Bradley, R. L. (2015). Endogeic earthworms lower net methane production in saturated riparian soils. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 51(2), 271–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez-Hernandez, D., Hernandez, L., Ojeda, A., et al. (2015). Impact of land protection in soil quality properties and in earthworm biomass in Venezuelan savannas. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 14(4), 927–941.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyttle, A., Yoo, K., Hale, C., et al. (2015). Impact of exotic earthworms on organic carbon sorption on mineral surfaces and soil carbon inventories in a northern hardwood forest. Ecosystems, 18(1), 16–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marhan, S., Auber, J., & Poll, C. (2015). Additive effects of earthworms, nitrogen-rich litter and elevated soil temperature on N2O emission and nitrate leaching from an arable soil. Applied Soil Ecology, 86, 55–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oo, A. N., Iwai, C. B., & Saenjan, P. (2015). Soil properties and maize growth in saline and nonsaline soils using cassava-industrial waste compost and vermicompost with or without earthworms. Land Degradation and Development, 26(3), 300–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pass, D. A., Morgan, A. J., Read, D. S., et al. (2015). The effect of anthropogenic arsenic contamination on the earthworm microbiome. Environmental Microbiology, 17(6), 1884–1896.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelosi, C., Barot, S., Capowiez, Y., et al. (2014). Pesticides and earthworms. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 34(1), 199–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Resner, K., Yoo, K., Sebestyen, S. D., et al. (2015). Invasive earthworms deplete key soil inorganic nutrients (Ca, Mg, K, and P) in a northern hardwood forest. Ecosystems, 18(1), 89–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suarez, E. R., Pelletier, D. M., Fahey, T. J., et al. (2004). Effects of exotic earthworms on soil phosphorus cycling in two broadleaf temperate forests. Ecosystems, 7(1), 28–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suthar, S., & Singh, S. (2009). Bioconcentrations of metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb) in earthworms (Eisenia fetida), inoculated in municipal sewage sludge: Do earthworms pose a possible risk of terrestrial food chain contamination? Environmental Toxicology, 24(1), 25–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorion, I., & Klok, C. (2007). Impact of a changed inundation regime caused by climate change and floodplain rehabilitation on population viability of earthworms in a lower River Rhine floodplain. Science of the Total Environment, 372(2–3), 585–594.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toyota, K., & Kimura, M. (2000). Microbial community indigenous to the earthworm Eisenia foetida. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 31(3–4), 187–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y. H., Chen, C., Qian, Y. Z., et al. (2015). Toxicity of mixtures of lambda-cyhalothrin, imidacloprid and cadmium on the earthworm Eisenia fetida by combination index (CI)-isobologram method. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 111, 242–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, F., Wang, L. M., Wang, G. X., et al. (2015). Organic matter and nitrogen distribution, and functional groups of filter at earthworm packing bed in vermifiltration. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 4(1), 375–380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, L., & Feng, Y. K. (2014). Bibliometrics and visualization analysis of artificial blood vessel research. Current Science, 106(6), 816–822.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, J. E., Yu, J. Y., & Ouyang, Y. (2015). Activity of earthworm in latosol under simulated acid rain stress. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 94(1), 108–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, Z. Q., Yang, Q., Yu, B. F., et al. (2015). Purification and characterization of a novel earthworm DNase. Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology, 45(4), 365–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zibetti, V. K., Nachtigal, G. D., de Lima, D. L., et al. (2015). Growth and reproduction of earthworm in organic waste mixtures and effects on chemical and microbial properties of vermicompost. Interciencia, 40(1), 57–62.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We heartily thank our anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions. The study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40871118), Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (No. 8151064201000048), Special Project on the Integration of Enterprise-University Cooporation Project of Guangdong Province (No. 2010B090400453). Further, this work was funded by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Jinan University (No. 21614375).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People’s Republic of China

    Huimin Xiang & Jiaen Zhang

  2. Jinan University Library, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China

    Qiandong Zhu

Authors
  1. Huimin Xiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jiaen Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Qiandong Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jiaen Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xiang, H., Zhang, J. & Zhu, Q. Worldwide earthworm research: a scientometric analysis, 2000–2015. Scientometrics 105, 1195–1207 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1725-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1725-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation