Global data on earthworm abundance, biomass, diversity and corresponding environmental properties
Authors: Phillips Helen R. P. , Bach Elizabeth M. , Bartz Marie L. C. , Bennett Joanne M. , Beugnon Rémy , Briones Maria J. I. , Brown George G. , Ferlian Olga , Gongalsky Konstantin B. , Guerra Carlos A. , König-Ries Birgitta , Krebs Julia J. , Orgiazzi Alberto , Ramirez Kelly S. , Russell David J. , Schwarz Benjamin , Wall Diana H. , Brose Ulrich , Decaëns Thibaud , Lavelle Patrick , Loreau Michel , Mathieu Jérôme , Mulder Christian , van der Putten Wim H. , Rillig Matthias C. , Thakur Madhav P. , de Vries Franciska T. , Wardle David A. , Ammer Christian , Ammer Sabine , Arai Miwa , Ayuke Fredrick O. , Baker Geoff H. , Baretta Dilmar , Barkusky Dietmar , Beauséjour Robin , Bedano Jose C. , Birkhofer Klaus , Blanchart Eric , Blossey Bernd , Bolger Thomas , Bradley Robert L. , Brossard Michel , Burtis James C. , Capowiez Yvan , Cavagnaro Timothy R. , Choi Amy , Clause Julia , Cluzeau Daniel , Coors Anja , Crotty Felicity V. , Crumsey Jasmine M. , Dávalos Andrea , Cosín Darío J. Díaz , Dobson Annise M. , Domínguez Anahí , Duhour Andrés Esteban , van Eekeren Nick , Emmerling Christoph , Falco Liliana B. , Fernández Rosa , Fonte Steven J. , Fragoso Carlos , Franco André L. C. , Fusilero Abegail , Geraskina Anna P. , Gholami Shaieste , González Grizelle , Gundale Michael J. , López Mónica Gutiérrez , Hackenberger Branimir K. , Hackenberger Davorka K. , Hernández Luis M. , Hirth Jeff R. , Hishi Takuo , Holdsworth Andrew R. , Holmstrup Martin , Hopfensperger Kristine N. , Lwanga Esperanza Huerta , Huhta Veikko , Hurisso Tunsisa T. , Iannone Basil V. , Iordache Madalina , Irmler Ulrich , Ivask Mari , Jesús Juan B. , Johnson-Maynard Jodi L. , Joschko Monika , Kaneko Nobuhiro , Kanianska Radoslava , Keith Aidan M. , Kernecker Maria L. , Koné Armand W. , Kooch Yahya , Kukkonen Sanna T. , Lalthanzara H. , Lammel Daniel R. , Lebedev Iurii M. , Le Cadre Edith , Lincoln Noa K. , López-Hernández Danilo , Loss Scott R. , Marichal Raphael , Matula Radim , Minamiya Yukio , Moos Jan Hendrik , Moreno Gerardo , Morón-Ríos Alejandro , Motohiro Hasegawa , Muys Bart , Neirynck Johan , Norgrove Lindsey , Novo Marta , Nuutinen Visa , Nuzzo Victoria , Mujeeb Rahman P. , Pansu Johan , Paudel Shishir , Pérès Guénola , Pérez-Camacho Lorenzo , Ponge Jean-François , Prietzel Jörg , Rapoport Irina B. , Rashid Muhammad Imtiaz , Rebollo Salvador , Rodríguez Miguel Á. , Roth Alexander M. , Rousseau Guillaume X. , Rozen Anna , Sayad Ehsan , van Schaik Loes , Scharenbroch Bryant , Schirrmann Michael , Schmidt Olaf , Schröder Boris , Seeber Julia , Shashkov Maxim P. , Singh Jaswinder , Smith Sandy M. , Steinwandter Michael , Szlavecz Katalin , Talavera José Antonio , Trigo Dolores , Tsukamoto Jiro , Uribe-López Sheila , de Valença Anne W. , Virto Iñigo , Wackett Adrian A. , Warren Matthew W. , Webster Emily R. , Wehr Nathaniel H. , Whalen Joann K. , Wironen Michael B. , Wolters Volkmar , Wu Pengfei , Zenkova Irina V. , Zhang Weixin , Cameron Erin K. , Eisenhauer Nico 
Published: May 2021

Earthworms are an important soil taxon as ecosystem engineers, providing a variety of crucial ecosystem functions and services. Little is known about their diversity and distribution at large spatial scales, despite the availability of considerable amounts of local-scale data. Earthworm diversity data, obtained from the primary literature or provided directly by authors, were collated with information on site locations, including coordinates, habitat cover, and soil properties. Datasets were required, at a minimum, to include abundance or biomass of earthworms at a site. Where possible, site-level species lists were included, as well as the abundance and biomass of individual species and ecological groups. This global dataset contains 10,840 sites, with 184 species, from 60 countries and all continents except Antarctica. The data were obtained from 182 published articles, published between 1973 and 2017, and 17 unpublished datasets. Amalgamating data into a single global database will assist researchers in investigating and answering a wide variety of pressing questions, for example, jointly assessing aboveground and belowground biodiversity distributions and drivers of biodiversity change.