Ants and termites increase crop yield in a dry climate

Evans, Theodore A.; Dawes, Tracy Z.; Ward, Phil; Lo, Nathan

doi:10.1038/ncomms1257

Cited by 204 publications

(149 citation statements)

References 55 publications

(104 reference statements)

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“…Consequently, they are hugely abundant and important ecologically, due to their essential role in decomposition and nutrient recycling [4][5][6]. Termites are also economically important, as they are significant pests of trees in agriculture, timber in forestry and human construction [7][8][9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oceanic dispersal, vicariance and human introduction shaped the modern distribution of the termitesReticulitermes,HeterotermesandCoptotermes

Bourguignon

Šobotník

et al. 2016

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Reticulitermes, Heterotermes and Coptotermes form a small termite clade with partly overlapping distributions. Although native species occur across all continents, the factors influencing their distribution are poorly known. Here, we reconstructed the historical biogeography of these termites using mitochondrial genomes of species collected on six continents. Our analyses showed that Reticulitermes split from Heterotermes þ Coptotermes at 59.5 Ma (49.9 -69.5 Ma 95% CI), yet the oldest split within Reticulitermes (Eurasia and North America) is 16.1 Ma (13.4 -19.5 Ma) and the oldest split within Heterotermes þ Coptotermes is 36.0 Ma (33.9 -40.5 Ma). We detected 14 disjunctions between biogeographical realms, all of which occurred within the last 34 Ma, not only after the break-up of Pangaea, but also with the continents in similar to current positions. Land dispersal over land bridges explained four disjunctions, oceanic dispersal by wood rafting explained eight disjunctions, and human introduction was the source of two recent disjunctions. These wood-eating termites, therefore, appear to have acquired their modern worldwide distribution through multiple dispersal processes, with oceanic dispersal and human introduction favoured by the ecological traits of nesting in wood and producing replacement reproductives.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oceanic dispersal, vicariance and human introduction shaped the modern distribution of the termitesReticulitermes,HeterotermesandCoptotermes

Bourguignon

Šobotník

et al. 2016

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…Studies have shown that ants and termites play a crucial role to create soil structure, influence aeration, water infiltration and nutrient cycling acting as ecosystem engineers (Lobry de Bruyn & Conacher, 1990;Lavelle et al, 1997;Mora et al, 2005;Jouqueta et al, 2011;Del Toro et al, 2012). In some cases, termites and ants are also responsible for increased crop yield under dry conditions through soil water infiltration due to their tunnels and improved soil nitrogen (Evans et al, 2011).…”

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confidence: 99%

Richness of Termites and Ants in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil

Diehl¹,

Diehl‐Fleig²,

Albuquerque³

et al. 2014

Sociobiology

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Previous studies on the effects of environmental factors, such as altitude, latitude, temperature, deforestation, forest fragmentation, fire, and flood on the community structure of termites and ants were conducted in various regions of Brazil; few of them were carried out in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Here we describe termites and ants diversity at different sites along the four geomorphologic units of this state. We recorded 16 taxa of termites, of which three are new state records, increasing to 19 the number of termite species known to occur in the state. Accordingly, we also found 73 species and 115 morphospecies of ants, of which only one was a new record, raising to 265 taxa the number of ant species known to occur in the state. As expected, we found a higher species richness of ants than termites. The low richness of both groups relative to other Brazilian regions could be a consequence of the subtropical to temperate climate in the state, since most portions of the state are below 30o latitude, the study areas be above 500 m altitude, and other environmental characteristics of each site. We suggest a positive relationship between species richness of termites and altitude, while ant richness indicated an inverse relationship. However, our data are not conclusive, due to the low number of replications in each altitude, particularly for termites. This study is unique in presenting an updated checklist of termites and ants in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

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“…Beetle larvae, flies, ants and termites clean up dead plant matter and break it down for further decomposition by microbes. Ants and termites, the soil macrofauna in dry and hot regions, play an important role in the increase of mineral nitrogen in the soil [48].…”

Section: Decompositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Importance of Insects in Agricultural Ecosystems

Jankielsohn¹

2018

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Sufficient food production for a growing human population has become an issue of global concern. Almost all of the world's fertile land is currently in use and arable land areas cannot be expanded significantly. The global challenge is to secure high and quality yields and to make agricultural production environmentally compatible. Insects have been hugely successful in terms of both species richness and abundance. Insects make up the most numerous group of organisms on earth, around 66% of all animal species, and being good dispersers and exploiters of virtually all types of organic matter, can be found almost everywhere, forming an important part of every ecosystem and are vital within our food supply chains performing valuable ecosystem services. Insects have been predominantly perceived as competitors in the race for survival. Herbivorous insects damage 18% of world agricultural production. Despite this damage less than 0.5 percentage of the total number of the known insect species are considered pests. Insect pests are created through the manipulation of habitats by humans, where crops are selected for larger size, higher yields, nutritious value, and are cultivated in monocultures for maximum production. This provides a highly favourable environment for the population increase of herbivorous insects. To ensure stable crop yields we need to change the management strategies of agroecosystems. We need to manage these systems in such a way that insects performing valuable ecosystem services are also incorporated into the system. This will ensure stable, resilient and sustainable systems in a constantly changing environment and will go a long way to ensure future food security. This paper examines the important role that insects generally play in ecosystems and how the services that insects provide can improve agricultural ecosystems.

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Ants and termites increase crop yield in a dry climate

Cited by 204 publications

References 55 publications

Oceanic dispersal, vicariance and human introduction shaped the modern distribution of the termitesReticulitermes,HeterotermesandCoptotermes

Oceanic dispersal, vicariance and human introduction shaped the modern distribution of the termitesReticulitermes,HeterotermesandCoptotermes

Richness of Termites and Ants in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil

The Importance of Insects in Agricultural Ecosystems

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