Research

Earthworm research at the Institute of Zoology at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) investigates the crucial importance of these organisms for soil function and sustainable soil use. The focus is on the biodiversity, distribution and ecology of earthworms, as well as their interactions with soil properties, vegetation and agricultural practices. As so-called ‘ecosystem engineers’, earthworms influence, amongst other things, soil structure, pore formation, aeration, water infiltration and the decomposition of organic matter through their burrowing and feeding activities. The research also examines the effects of land-use changes, tillage, fertilisation and other anthropogenic pressures on earthworm communities. This involves combining field studies, controlled experiments and taxonomic or molecular biological methods. A further focus is on the use of earthworms as bioindicators of soil quality and environmental changes. The findings contribute to a better understanding of soil biodiversity, the development of soil-conserving farming practices and the safeguarding of the long-term provision of key ecosystem services. In this way, earthworm research at the BOKU Institute of Zoology combines fundamental zoological research with practical issues relating to soil and biodiversity conservation.

In site-adapted alpine pasture management with small livestock, sites are selectively grazed or spared according to their potential and ecological stability. The areas are only grazed for a certain time; afterwards, there is a period of rest to allow the sites to regenerate. This management approach combines the sustainable provision of ecosystem services, such as biodiversity conservation and promotion, with the production of food on areas that can only contribute to human nutrition in this way. Unlike the current practice of allowing small livestock to graze freely on alpine pastures, targeted stand-adapted grazing prevents overuse, trampling, open ground, erosion, underuse, bushy growth, forestation and natural hazards. The cultural landscape is also preserved, and the phases of rest during the grazing period relieve habitats for insects, soil organisms and wild animals. The project 'SchaZi-Alm' strengthens the multifunctional performance of stand-adapted grazing for alpine pasture and agriculture, nature conservation, hunting, forestry, tourism and recreation, as well as for society as a whole.

Around 48% of Austria is covered by forest, making it one of the most densely forested countries in Europe. Forests are home to a wide variety of plants, fungi, birds and mammals, yet little is known about the importance of soils and their animal communities. Soils are among the most species-rich habitats, and healthy soils are crucial for resilient ecosystems that can withstand climate extremes such as heavy rainfall or drought and store carbon in the long term. In 2024, under the leadership of BOKU Zoology, Austria’s first nationwide earthworm monitoring programme was carried out in open landscapes. This identified around half of the 62 earthworm species found in Austria. The present ‘WaldRegenwürmer’ project builds on this foundation and establishes systematic monitoring of earthworm fauna in Austria’s forests. The project objectives are: - To survey earthworm diversity, abundance and biomass in different forest types across Austria. - To analyse the key factors (site, soil, management, climate) that determine the occurrence of earthworms, and to develop a tool for assessing soil health in forests. - Utilising the results by contributing to the Red List of Austrian earthworms and deriving practical recommendations for forest owners, forest managers and ecologists. In doing so, WaldRegenwürmer fulfils the criteria of Measure 10 of the Forest Fund in several respects: It is a monitoring and research project on biodiversity-related topics (funding objective 11.2.1). Through target-group-specific public outreach and awareness-raising (excursions, species profiles, webinars, school programmes, social media), the importance of healthy forest soils is communicated (funding objective 11.2.2). By deriving practical management recommendations for forest owners, the project contributes to the improvement and long-term safeguarding of valuable habitats in forests (funding area 11.2.3). The project thus strengthens the implementation of the Austrian Biodiversity Strategy 2030+ and supports European initiatives such as the EU Soil Monitoring Law.