biostudies-literatureNuutinen VEuropean Union's H2020 programe3066https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11734576biostudies-literatureUnknown35(1)Earthworms are a key faunal group in agricultural soils, but little is known on how farming systems affect their communities across wide climatic gradients and how farming system choice might mediate earthworms' exposure to climate conditions. Here, we studied arable soil earthworm communities on wheat fields across a European climatic gradient, covering nine pedo-climatic zones, from Mediterranean to Boreal (S to N) and from Lusitanian to Pannonian (W to E). In each zone, 20-25 wheat fields under conventional or organic farming were sampled. Community metrics (total abundance, fresh mass, and species richness and composition) were combined with data on climate conditions, soil properties, and field management and analyzed with mixed models. There were no statistically discernible differenEcological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of AmericaWheat field earthworms under divergent farming systems across a European climate gradient.PMC11734576817819de Sutter NBrandt KKSchrader SHyvonen JNuutinen VOllio IPeltoniemi KMartinez-Martinez SWaeyenberge LLloret EDekemati IGrujic NFernandez-Calvino DSutri MIvask MPerez-Rodriguez PShanskiy MBriones MJISimon BLassen SBfalseWheat field earthworms under divergent farming systems across a European climate gradient.Earthworms are a key faunal group in agricultural soils, but little is known on how farming systems affect their communities across wide climatic gradients and how farming system choice might mediate earthworms' exposure to climate conditions. Here, we studied arable soil earthworm communities on wheat fields across a European climatic gradient, covering nine pedo-climatic zones, from Mediterranean to Boreal (S to N) and from Lusitanian to Pannonian (W to E). In each zone, 20-25 wheat fields under conventional or organic farming were sampled. Community metrics (total abundance, fresh mass, and species richness and composition) were combined with data on climate conditions, soil properties, and field management and analyzed with mixed models. There were no statistically discernible differen2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Jan2026-03-27T17:26:42.987Z2025-04-06T01:17:27.528ZS-EPMC117345763958732010.1002/eap.3066