A project led by a Dundee-based research group is about to get underway - to count Scotland's worms.

It is hoped the project will also help scientists understand how climate change is affecting our earthworm population - described by scientists as "ecosystem engineers" as they are key organisms who influence soil structure and provide air and drainage channels underground.

They also provide the soil with "natural compost" by recycling plant material.

The unique study, conducted by researchers from the Scottish Crop Research Institute, is being conducted on Scottish farms.

During the early 1990s, scientists at SCRI carried out the first ever national earthworm survey of Scotland - and this new research will revisit exactly the same sites at 100 farms across the country. This will enable the data to be compared with the baseline 1990s study and used to determine whether, for example, climate change is impacting upon these crucially important ecosystem engineers.

The new survey will investigate whether changes in climate have had an impact on the number of earthworms and whether any other factors may be affecting their numbers.

Dr Roy Neilson of SCRI said: "There are three different groups of earthworms; those that stay near the top of the soil, those that burrow horizontally and those that burrow vertically.

"The paths of the horizontal and vertical earthworms cross; creating important natural drainage channels in the soil. If there is a reduction in the earthworm population there would be less natural drainage and that combined with increased rainfall caused by climate change could result in more flooding.

"The results of this survey will help ascertain the health of Scotland’s soil and soil-based biological databases like this one are unique, placing Scotland at the forefront of soil ecology and climate change studies."