Evaluating the Conservation Status of a North-Western Iberian Earthworm (Compostelandrilus cyaneus) with Insight into Its Genetic Diversity and Ecological Preferences.

ABSTRACT: In spite of the high conservation value of soil fauna, the evaluation of their conservation status has usually been neglected. This is more evident for earthworms, one of the most important ecosystem service providers in temperate habitats but rarely the subject of conservation research. These studies have not been developed in Western Europe, which comprises high diversity and several early-branching, relic genera. One potentially menaced representative of this fauna is Compostelandrilus cyaneus; this risk can be assessed by implementing potential distribution modeling and genetic diversity monitoring to their known populations. Genetic barcoding was performed in representatives of four populations (three of them newly sampled) in order to estimate genetic diversity and population

SUBMITTER: Marchan DF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8871906 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature