The stable burrows of the vertical burrowers in particular
considerably improve water infiltration, storage and drainage
of soils. Surface runoff and erosion are thus reduced. Up to
150 burrows, or 900 metres of burrows per square metre
and metre of depth, can be found in unploughed soil. The
vertical burrows stabilized with slime can be as deep as 3
metres in deep loess soils, and even as deep as 6 metres in
chernozem soils (‘Black earths’). Due to their powerful muscles, deep burrowers are able to penetrate slightly compacted
soils and thus improve drainage.