Earthworms may have declined by a third in UK, study reveals

Researchers estimated the number of earthworms had dropped by 33% to 41% in the last quarter of a century. Photograph: blickwinkel/Alamy

Populations of earthworms in the UK may have fallen by about a third in the past 25 years, an assessment has shown.

Earthworms are vital for the healthy soil that underpins all ecosystems and scientists said a large decline would sit alongside concerns about “insectaggedon” and the global destruction of wildlife.