Although dirt doesn’t seem to be particularly interesting on the surface — we often picture a lifeless, unremarkable substance beneath our feet — it’s actually a dynamic ecosystem teeming with organisms. And these organisms hold the power to make or break all of life on Earth.
One such unsung hero is the humble earthworm and, most importantly, its toilet habits. If you plop your spade into a patch of healthy soil, chances are that most of this is stuff that's come out the back end of an earthworm.
Earthworms are “ecosystem engineers” according to Kevin Richard Butt, an ecology professor at the University of Central Lancashire in the U.K. and an editorial board member of the European Journal of Soil Biology.
Read More: Medieval Friars Were Filled With Worms
