This document specifies a method for sampling and handling earthworms from field soils as a prerequisite for using these animals as bioindicators (e.g. to assess the quality of a soil as a habitat for organisms).

This document is applicable to all terrestrial biotopes in which earthworms occur. This document does not apply to semi-terrestrial soils (i.e. soils that are partly aquatic, such as bogs, beaches, marshes, stream margins) and it can be difficult to use under extreme climatic or geographical conditions (e.g. in high mountains). Methods for other soil organism groups, such as micro-arthropods and enchytraeids (mesofauna), are covered in other parts of the ISO 23611 series.