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Relationship between respiration rate and movement of the earthworm: an approach using dynamic measurement methods
Summary
This study used AI-based video analysis (YOLOv8) and flow-through respirometry to show a positive correlation between earthworm movement velocity and respiration rate, contributing to methods for assessing earthworm physiology under environmental stressors. Earthworms are sentinel species for soil microplastic contamination research, and this dynamic measurement methodology could be applied to quantify the physiological burden of microplastic exposure on soil ecosystem engineers.
Earthworms play a crucial role as ecosystem engineers in terrestrial ecosystems by influencing soil properties and contributing to carbon sequestration. Understanding their basic physiology is essential for comprehending their role in biogeochemistry and their responses to various substances such toxic chemicals and microplastics. This study investigated the relationship between the respiration rate and movement in earthworms using a dynamic measurement system. The respiration rate was measured using a flow-through chamber method, while movement was quantified by detecting movements of earthworms in recorded videos using a trained AI model (YOLOv8) and calculating the velocity of the center of detected earthworm area. The results showed a positive correlation between respiration rate and movement, with similar waveforms when the velocity of movement exceeded 2 mm s-1. On the other hand, no correlation was observed when the velocity was less than 2 mm s-1. Our findings partially supported the hypothesis that increased movement leads to higher respiration rates in earthworms. This study also highlights the limitations of the AI model in detecting earthworms and the potential influence of experimental conditions on their behavior. Further development of the methods used in this study is expected to advance our understanding of earthworm physiology and its implications for soil ecosystems.