Marta Novo

When the Soil Turns Hostile: A Comparative Study of Aestivation in Riparian and Terrestrial Earthworms

In the Iberian Peninsula, intensifying summer aridity poses a significant threat to soil fauna. Earthworms, as key ecosystem regulators, often rely on aestivation-a dormancy state involving metabolic depression-to survive these hostile conditions. However, little is known about t...