Our project seeks to investigate the effects of sound and vibration on worms. Specifically, we measured 4 different volumes of sound on 4 different worm boxes, taking note of worm length, wiggle rate, plumpness, and movement upwards. Worms are a crucial part of the environment, maintaining soil health such that plants can grow, hence forming the foundation of the food chain. Investigating the impacts of different levels of volume on worms gives us key insights into the way different environments (of different volume levels) impact soil health, and hence the whole food chain.
Originally, our methodology was to leave 4 worm boxes immersed in 4 different kinds of sound (nature, city sounds, 24-hour news, and silent control group) for 2 weeks. Due to technical difficulties, and the murder of our original worm batch, we pivoted to measuring volume levels against worm behaviour, particularly, the upwards movement of the worms.
Our results revealed small and inconsistent differences in plumpness, and negative differences in wiggle rate for volume 3. The length of worms in inches increased the most in the volume 3 box, but not by a particularly significant amount. The upwards movement measure of worm reaction produced the clearest results, with upwards movement increasing from volumes 0-2, then dropping again for volume 3. This suggests that volume does disrupt worms, but the link is more complicated than direct proportionality. High enough volume seems to work the other way, encouraging worms to stay low and burrow. Further research could seek to find where this turning point is by measuring volumes more specifically (in decibels), and could test further worms to ensure this pattern is real and not a fluke.
