Roe deer and earthworms in the forest: friends in the sun, foes in the shade
10/14/2025Ludwig Lettenmaier addressed this question as part of the MainPro project. At the annual conference of the Society for Ecology (GfÖ), which took place from 1 to 5 September in Würzburg, he presented his exciting findings under the title ‘Roe deer and earthworms in the forest: friends in the sun, foes in the shade’.
Deer have an ambivalent effect on the biomass and density of earthworms, the barely visible ecosystem engineers of our forests. In dark, closed forest areas, they reduce earthworm density, while in light-flooded canopy gaps, they can even benefit them. The reason: browsing keeps the shrub layer in check, allowing more herbs to grow and more moisture to remain in the soil – good conditions for earthworms.
These results illustrate the complexity of the direct and indirect connections between above-ground and below-ground processes in our forests, as well as the fine-tuning of the interaction between plants, animals and soil organisms.
- Lettenmaier 2025 -
