Description
This dataset contains occurrence records of earthworms (Lumbricidae) collected in 2007 across various steppe and forest-steppe habitats of eastern and southern Ukraine. The data were obtained through field surveys using soil extraction and hand-sorting methods. The study focused on natural and anthropogenically transformed ecosystems, including agricultural fields, forest plantations, and virgin steppe patches. The dataset provides valuable information on the distribution, species composition, and ecological preferences of earthworm communities under different land-use and soil conditions. These data contribute to understanding the role of Lumbricidae in soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in temperate steppe landscapes.
Data Records
The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 495 records.
This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.
Versions
The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.
How to cite
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Zhukov O (2025). Earthworm species occurrences in eastern and southern Ukraine. Version 1.0. Bohdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University. Occurrence dataset. https://ukraine.ipt.gbif.no/resource?r=earthworms_eastern_southern_ukraine&v=1.0
Rights
Researchers should respect the following rights statement:
The publisher and rights holder of this work is Bohdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University. To the extent possible under law, the publisher has waived all rights to these data and has dedicated them to the Public Domain (CC0 1.0). Users may copy, modify, distribute and use the work, including for commercial purposes, without restriction.
GBIF Registration
This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: ddba70bb-093d-41a8-9504-831fb4c95f29. Bohdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by Participant Node Managers Committee.
Keywords
Earthworms Soil fauna Eastern Ukraine Southern Ukraine Biodiversity
Contacts
- Metadata Provider ●
- Originator ●
- Point Of Contact
https://orcid.org/https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3661-3012
Geographic Coverage
The dataset covers multiple localities across the steppe and forest-steppe zones of eastern and southern Ukraine, including the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions, as well as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Sampling sites were selected to represent a range of natural and anthropogenically transformed habitats, such as native steppe patches, agricultural fields, afforested areas, and floodplain landscapes. The geographic coordinates span approximately from 44°N to 51°N latitude and 32°E to 36°E longitude.
| Bounding Coordinates | South West [44, 32], North East [51, 36] |
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Taxonomic Coverage
The dataset includes records of 25 species of earthworms (Annelida: Clitellata: Lumbricidae) identified from eastern and southern Ukraine. All taxa belong to the family Lumbricidae, which comprises the dominant earthworm species in temperate ecosystems. The species list includes members of the genera Aporrectodea, Dendrobaena, Eisenia, Lumbricus, Octolasion, and others. Taxonomic identification was based on morphological characteristics according to standard keys used in soil zoology. The coverage represents both widespread and regionally restricted taxa occurring in steppe and forest-steppe environments.
| Family | Lumbricidae (Earthworms) |
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Temporal Coverage
| Start Date / End Date | 2007-03-21 / 2007-11-30 |
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Project Data
No Description available
| Title | Earthworm species occurrences in eastern and southern Ukraine |
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Sampling Methods
Earthworms were collected using the standard hand-sorting method of soil monoliths measuring 25 × 25 cm to a depth of 20–25 cm, depending on soil type. Sampling was conducted in spring and autumn seasons. Each sample was georeferenced using GPS. In each site, several replicates were taken to account for microhabitat heterogeneity. Specimens were identified to species level using morphological characteristics and standard identification keys. Collected individuals were preserved in 70% ethanol for further examination and verification.
| Study Extent | The study covered a range of natural and anthropogenically transformed habitats across the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, including steppe zones, forest-steppe patches, floodplains, and agroecosystems. Field sampling was conducted between 1997 and 2007, with geographic coverage extending from the Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts in the east to the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in the south. |
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Method step description:
- Sampling was conducted in selected habitats by extracting soil monoliths using the hand-sorting method. Earthworms were manually collected, cleaned from soil particles, and placed in labeled containers with 70% ethanol. In the laboratory, individuals were identified under a stereomicroscope using standard taxonomic keys. Geographical coordinates and dates were recorded for each sampling event. Data were entered into a structured database, checked for taxonomic consistency using the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, and exported in Darwin Core format for publication.
Additional Metadata
| Alternative Identifiers | https://ukraine.ipt.gbif.no/resource?r=earthworms_eastern_southern_ukraine |
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