Generally, earthworm densities were lower in cropped plots than in the undisturbed plantation control. The most abundant species was a Legonodrilus sp. nov. with average densities of 49 individuals m−2 in the crop phase and 80 ind. m−2 in the fallow phase. By the fallow phase, densities in the low tree density (120 ind. m−2) were higher than in the high density (40 ind. m−2). The densities of the epigeic Acanthodrilidae were significantly reduced to 7 ind. m−2 in the cropped plots compared with 42 ind. m−2 in the control plots. The effects of cropping were thus species-specific and more work is required to identify which of these endemics are the ecosystem engineers in the system.