Recent studies show that there are 16 species of earthworms in the New England area of the United States. All of those species are exotic; Fourteen are from Europe and two from Asia. Many people are studying these earthworms trying to figure out if they are actually helping the environment they have come to or have they put a negative impact on it. Right now, the earthworms are changing the basic layering of the forest floors by redistributing more carbon than ever before. This is changing the plants and trees that depend on the normal system and aren't expected to be seen at all soon. But, it is said that at first earthworms create dramatic changes that could be seen as negative but slowly, the change becomes positive. The soil aggregates from the earthworms could potentially protect the organic carbon inside, creating a barrier that will protect it from other organisms that could break it down in the future. The question still remains if the earthworms in New England are helping or hurting the environment but time will just have to tell.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131029133126.htm
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