Diversity of Earthworm Species within a Relatively Undisturbed Forest over Limestone in Mt. Guimba, Loboc, Bohol, Philippines

Earthworms are keystone species that shape the terrestrial ecosystem into a conducive and productive system. However, the data supporting their ecology and biology were scarce, specifically in the karst areas of Mt. Guimba, Bohol.  Hence, this investigation was carried out. Three randomly established 10m x 10m plots were utilized for the assessment. The findings revealed that the area is very low in earthworm diversity species; however, the detected earthworms are putatively new species. Polypheretima spp. was found to be abundant. Polypheretima sp. 1, Polypheretima sp. 2, and Pheretima sp. 1 were associated with soil pH, soil moisture, and elevation. Polypheretima sp. 2 was sensitive to soil pH, while Polypheretima sp. 3 was closely associated elevation. Ultimately, these findings are not only for baseline information but also for conserving and protecting their natural habitat.

Keywords: Biodiversity, Pheretima, Polypheretima, terrestrial ecosystem