3.1. Earthworm mortality
Of 84 earthworms, eight died (9.5% mortality). Four died in the soil-type × litter-type experiment (2 control and 2 eastern hemlock), and four in the litter type experiment (1 basswood, 1 deer pellet, and 2 hophornbeam). Only surviving worms were used in the growth analyses.
3.2. Litter type and litter property effects on growth
Litter type significantly (p < 0.001) affected earthworm growth. Mean earthworm growth responded to litter as follows, in descending order of mean growth rate: basswood, sugar maple, deer pellets, red maple, hophornbeam, yellow birch, eastern hemlock and red oak (Fig. 1a). The only treatment where earthworms exhibited mean weight loss was the control.