Individuals & Families

Earthworms and other Invertebrates

 Centre:  Malham Tarn    Tutor:  Caroline Langdon
 Dates:  Friday 20 August-Sunday 22 August 2010
 Sole Occupancy Room:£225     Shared Room: £205 

   Non-Res: £156

 Level:Open to Everyone
  Professional Development Course.

Additional Course Information

• Earthworms and other Invertebrates
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This course has been cancelled.

Earthworms and other soil invertebrates are essential to the breakdown and decomposition of organic substances in the soil. The ecological niches that earthworm species inhabit are of great importance in terms of these decomposition processes. Earthworms are also thought to promote soil health through the mixing of soils, aeration and assistance to drainage through burrow construction.

This course will look at the relationships between earthworms, other soil animals and the environment. The course will identify key soil invertebrate species relating them to characteristics in the environment such as the surrounding geology and flora.

The course will include:
-An introduction to the identification and extraction of soil animals in the field.
-An introduction to the identification of soil animals in the laboratory using microscopes.
-A number of excursions to a variety of different habitats around the Malham Field Centre to determine differences in soil communities in relation to the landscape. Samples will be collected from the field and analysed in the laboratory.
Time will be divided between classroom, laboratory and field visits.

Instruction in soil animal identification will be fully covered, no prior knowledge is necessary.

Caroline Langdon completed a degree in Ecology at Lancaster University followed by a PhD entitled 'Relationships between Lumbricid earthworms and arsenic-rich mine spoil wastes'. Caroline went on to work in research at both Lancaster and Reading Universities, before undertaking a lectureship at the University of Central Lancashire in Environmental Pollution.

Caroline now tutors on an Environmental Science Course for the Open University and also runs a range of ecologically based courses for Lancaster University. She has published widely in her field. Caroline has a PGCE in Higher Education and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

This course is part of our programme of Professional Development Courses. You can find out more in the Professional Development section of this website.