The most common introduced earthworm in New Zealand is the grey worm (Aporrectodea caliginosa). Grey worms live in the top 20–30 centimetres of soil. As they burrow through it they mix and aerate the topsoil. They produce casts (mounds of digested soil and plant matter) which help to improve the soil structure and contain nutrients in a form easily taken up by plants.
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Photograph by Ross Gray
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