Since the publication of the highly-successful first edition of Earthworm Ecology, there were two international symposia and an increased number of publications on the subject, demanding a revision of the book that addresses the most rapidly developing areas of earthworm research.Earthworm Ecology, Second Edition updates the most comprehensive work available on earthworm ecology with extensive revisions of the original chapters. This well-illustrated, expansive study examines the important, and often overlooked, impact earthworms have on the environment. It discusses the impact of climate, soil properties, predation, disease and parasitism, and competition upon earthworm ecology.New chapters analyze the history of earthworm research, the importance of earthworms as representatives of soil fauna and how they affect plant growth, the effects of the invasion of exotic earthworms into North America and other regions, and vermiculture and vermicomposting in Europe and Asia. This new material makes this volume an essential reference work for soil scientists, agronomists, and others with a great interest in earthworms.