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The natural defenses of dead plants -- which are designed to inhibit enzymes in the gut to prevent digestion -- would be toxic for any other animal. But a group of researchers from Imperial College London have discovered new molecules in the worm gut, named drilodefensins, that can counteract the toxins, breaking them down the way that dish liquid breaks apart grease.
"Without drilodefensins, fallen leaves would remain on the surface of the ground for a very long time, building up to a thick layer," said Jake Bundy, an author of the study and a professor at Imperial College, in a statement. "Our countryside would be unrecognizable, and the whole system of carbon cycling would be disrupted."
The humble worm is amazing. It can turn lawn waste and food scraps into rich black soil in a matter of weeks.
(Score: 2) by moondrake on Monday August 10 2015, @08:41AM
The problems with such simulations (I do a lot of those) is that you can only model things you already know about (and often only imperfectly). Nature sometimes does things that we do not know about, and thus they cannot be put in a model. Even if the model gives you the expected outcome, it might be for the wrong reasons (especially since you are likely dealing with a gazillion parameters that you have only approximate estimates for).