The applicability of Regional Red List assessments for soil invertebrates: First assessment of five native earthworm species in Canada

Abstract

AbstractEarthworms (Annelida: Clitellata: Crassiclitellata) are prominent members of the soil community, important to many ecosystem functions. Despite this, and like many other soil invertebrates, they are rarely considered in conservation assessments, including the IUCN Red List assessments used to assess species’ extinction risk. To investigate the applicability of the IUCN Regional Red Listing protocol to soil invertebrates, we assessed the conservation status of five earthworm species known to be native to Canada using this protocol and all available occurrence records. In Canada, no earthworm species have yet been assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Due to the lack of data on population sizes and their trends, all five species were assessed using their Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Criterion B). One species was assessed as Vulnerable, two were assessed in non-threatened categories, and two were assessed as Data Deficient. For the majority, the main threats identified were the continuing loss of potential habitat due to land conversion and resource exploitation, as well as the effects of climate change. Increasing the amount of data, including but not limited to distribution and habitat preferences, would make the assessment process easier and status decisions better supported. By undertaking regional assessments for five native earthworm species in Canada, we show that Regional Red List assessments are feasible for soil invertebrates.