Soils and earthworms as a final chapter in the narrative of a steelworks

Hallside steelworks, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, employed thousands of people and constructed rails and ships for over a century, before this successful industry closed in the 1970s. The site, south-east of Glasgow, was then reclaimed from dereliction during the 1990s to produce biomass through Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) of willow trees (Salix spp.). On site, the contaminated soil was removed, and a rudimentary substrate created with a mixture of sewage sludge and colliery spoil, the latter moved from nearby tips to release land for housing. Trees were planted and earthworms (Annelida) added to potentially assist growth. Initially recognised as a flagship for reclamation, the site was then abandoned. In 2018, information was gathered on the development of soils and on earthworm communities. This was achieved by sampling across the 35 ha site below willow, other planted tree species and grassland. The results showed that reclaimed soils were very stony, compacted, resistant to water infiltration but relatively uncontaminated. Willow had grown, but coppicing had not occurred. Earthworm introduction was initially unsuccessful, but colonisation took place from adjacent unadulterated areas and 16 species from three ecological groups were recorded. Mean community density was 208 ± 18.1 earthworms m-2 with a mean mass of 71 ± 6.1 g m-2. Type of vegetation cover had a significant (P <0.05) effect on community density and biomass. The site is now used for recreation and is an effective greenspace close to Glasgow

Confirming the status of Lancashire’s endemic freshwater Nemertean – Prostoma jenningsi

The aim of this study was to confirm the status of Lancashire’s endemic freshwater Nemertean – Prostoma jenningsi. Due to human induced environmental change and the degradation of habitats, a vast decline in biodiversity has been witnessed on a global scale, with losses occurring among many native UK species. P. jenningsi (known locally as the ‘Croston Worm’), is considered to be Lancashire’s only endemic species, thought to exist solely in the Clay ‘Ole, Bretherton; however, its existence at the site has not been confirmed since 1999. Endemic species are considered to be of intrinsic value to the biodiversity of the UK and P. jenningsi was designated a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species in 2007 and a Species of Principal Importance to England through the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act from 2008, but is currently listed in the British Red Data Book as Insufficiently Known. Nemertea are a diverse group of free-living, benthic, simple soft-bodied acoelomate animals. An eversible proboscis, used primarily in prey capture, is a shared characteristic of the taxon. Nemertea have very few morphological characteristics that can be used for diagnosis of species, genera or even family, thus making taxonomy difficult. Therefore, doubt surrounds existing species descriptions and their relationships. In 2011, researchers at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) (including the author) initiated a project in conjunction with Natural England and the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside (LWT), to confirm the existence of the ‘Croston Worm’ at the Clay ‘Ole. The initial project was unable to locate a population of P. jenningsi; however, subsequent research revealed two populations of Prostoma spp at alternative pond locations in Lancashire. Initial DNA analysis revealed the populations to be Prostoma eilhardi, a species with known worldwide distribution. A putative, type specimen of P. jenngsi, was obtained from the Natural History Museum to allow comparisons with collected specimens; however, due to the age and preservation methods associated with the sample, it was not possible to extract DNA for analysis. Results from the study raised questions regarding the validity of the designation of P. jenningsi as a unique species. This Masters by research project sought to build upon this preliminary (unpublished) work to confirm the current status of P. jenningsi, through the extensive re-sampling of the Clay ‘Ole site and expanding sampling to further selected locations across Lancashire. A population of Prostoma spp was located at the Clay ‘Ole site and three additional populations recorded at locations in Lancashire. Comparisons of 18s (nuclear) gene and COI (mitochondrial) gene sequences, made with those stored on global databases (GenBank and BOLD), found recovered specimens to be identical to both P. graecense and P. eilhardi. This questioned the validity of information supplied by the online databases and confirmed the miss-identifications of P. jenningsi as a separate species made through traditional histological methods. DNA barcoding, using the COI gene, is considered to be an effective tool in resolving species identity in Nemerteans; however, in the case of Prostoma spp, a larger data set may be required to distinguish whether P. graecense and P. eilhardi are two distinct species. In addition, the limited genetic diversity displayed between samples from Lancashire and locations in both Europe and USA raised further questions related to species dispersal and mode of reproduction. Further DNA research is required in order to address these questions. In the case of P. jenningsi, it is proposed that the current listing in the British Red Data Book and designation under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act are no longer valid

Two decades of monitoring earthworms in translocated grasslands at Manchester Airport

Construction of a second runway at Manchester Airport included a mitigation package of habitat restoration with relocation of earthworms as prey items for protected vertebrates. Translocation of turf in blocks was the standard method used for four of five monitored sites with loose soil moved at the other. To assess earthworm communities at these translocated grassland sites, monitoring was undertaken each October (1998–2019) by digging and hand sorting of soil, followed by vermifuge application. Fourteen earthworm species were recorded, representing all ecological groups, but the majority were endogeic species, dominated by Aporrectodea caliginosa. Total earthworm numbers fluctuated during the monitoring period, with lowest density at 4 m−2 and highest more than a hundred times larger. The overall mean from all sites across the monitoring period was 151 ind. m−2. The differences between sites such as total earthworm numbers and species richness were clearly influenced by the translocation method and specific site topography. Created Hummocks to 3 m for hibernating amphibians proved successful with grassland soil establishing well. Lumbricus terrestris failed to establish due to translocation technique. Using non-metric multidimensional scaling, integration of environmental data with earthworm records showed effects of soil moisture content, pH and rainfall on abundance of ecological groupings and particular species. In general, earthworm community composition was dynamic over the monitoring period suggesting that this and population size needs to be appraised over realistic timescales, which may be best monitored in decades

Earthworm community development in soils of a reclaimed steelworks

Long-term studies are essential to learn earthworm community development and soil formation post reclamation. Investigations were undertaken at a former steelworks site at Hallside, near Glasgow, UK, reclaimed in the 1990s using a mixture of colliery spoil and sewage sludge. The site was largely planted for production of short rotation coppice willow (Salix spp.). Earthworm inoculation formed a part of the restoration process. Minimal monitoring occurred in the interim, but some records of earthworm sampling existed in 2000 and 2005. This study focused on monitoring earthworms and soil properties across the site, drawing comparisons with adjacent unspoiled soil. Results showed that after 22 years, a species-rich community of earthworms (n = 16) colonized the site, with endogeic Aporrectodea caliginosa being dominant by number and anecic A. longa by mass. Across the site, earthworm community density and biomass were 208 individuals m−2 and 71 g m−2, respectively. The Shannon diversity index for earthworms was 1.89, with an evenness of 0.68. The sewage sludge increased the soil organic matter, but the stone content of the colliery spoil prevented digging in some locations. Soil chemistry had no negative effect on earthworms, but the compacted substrate did hinder water infiltration. Earthworms colonized the reclaimed site from adjacent areas, and community structure and density below well-drained, scrub-free willow, birch, and grassland were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from those of the adjacent unspoiled areas. The results show that the historical earthworm inoculation was unnecessary and badly timed. Future reclamations of similar sites can learn from this investigation

Soft Law, Legal Ethics and the Corporate Lawyer: Confronting Human Rights and Sustainability Norms

We are all familiar with the old adage that hard cases make for bad law. This symposium riffs off that idea to inquire whether soft law can make for (great) ethical lawyering? To interrogate this question, the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, Canada, hosted the 30th annual Wickwire Lecture and invited several scholars from different jurisdictions to share their reflections on the complicated, but increasingly common, challenges of the relationship between emerging soft law norms and the ethical obligations of corporate lawyers

Development of earthworm communities in a made soil at Hallside

International audienc

A re-examination of the taxonomic status of Prostoma jenningsi—a Freshwater Nemertean

Prostoma jenningsi was first recorded at the Clay ‘Ole pond in Lancashire, UK, in 1969 and was distinguished histologically from other Prostoma by the presence of 11 proboscidial nerves (with all other Prostoma species thought to have 9-10). P. jenningsi was considered to be the only species endemic to Lancashire and listed in the British Red Data Book as ‘Insufficiently Known’ as well as a ‘Species of Principal Importance’ under the UK Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006). A limited number of Prostoma spp were recovered from the Clay ‘Ole in 2011 (the first confirmation of the presence of Prostoma spp. since 1999). In 2015, further sampling was undertaken and expanded to other ponds in Lancashire resulting in the discovery of Prostoma spp. at a further 3 locations. Thereafter, DNA sequencing of nuclear 18S ribosomal RNA and mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) genes were undertaken and phylogenetic analyses performed to establish the taxonomic status of recovered specimens. All available Prostoma sequences (Prostoma eilhardi and Prostoma graecense) were downloaded from GenBank® and Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) databases for comparison. All 18S sequences from samples in Lancashire were identical to each other and to all downloaded Prostoma sequences, allowing no further analyses. With COI, 50 individuals were collected from 4 locations across Lancashire and sequenced, comparing a total of 480 base pairs. Average uncorrected p-distances between UK and European samples were low, although some more geographically distant samples from California, USA, displayed higher uncorrected p-distance values. Results suggest that the Prostoma recovered from the Clay ‘Ole (and all other sampled locations in Lancashire) are not distinct from P. eilhardi and P. graecense (as downloaded from GenBank® and BOLD) suggesting that there is a strong case for the species status of P. jenningsi to be revoked. Further regional and national sampling is required to obtain a clearer evaluation of the distribution of Prostoma and the levels of genetic diversity present in the UK. In addition, results from this study indicate that thorough taxonomical re-evaluation of species within the Prostoma genus is required