NREM 1014 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Annelid, Compost, Seta
Document Summary
Free living and parasitic forms: parasites in animals and plants, some exhibit both stages in their life cycle. Long-lived (1-30+ years: hardy and can survive in extreme environmental conditions. Drought: enclose themselves in a cyst or become dormant. Body coated with cuticle layer, molted periodically. Live on land and in water: earthworms (land-living, ragworms (mostly marine, leeches (moist areas and water) Exhibit segmentation, each segment contains a set of muscles: contraction of muscles helps annelids with movement and increases the burrowing capacity. Presence of setae (absent in leech: hearing structure. No native species in previously glaciated northern north america. European settlement - human-aided dispersal (fishing and composting) Removal of litter/organic layers; changes soil and plant community. Identification of current invasions and remaining earthworm free areas to prevent spreading. Winged insects, spiders, underwater crustaceans, millipedes, and centipedes. >1m species and more to be discovered. Largest phylum: obvious in centipedes and millipedes.
