Lignin characteristics and density fractions of termite nests in an Amazonian rain forest—indicators of termite feeding guilds?

Amelung, Wulf; Martius, Christopher; Bandeira, Adelmar Gomes; Garcia, Marcos Valério; Zech, Wolfgang

doi:10.1016/s0038-0717(01)00192-4

Cited by 36 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The carbon content and C/N ratio of the mound were very close to the results of Amelung et al [24]. The dry matter in the termite mound sample and in the litter had the same level of carbon, while the level of nitrogen in the mound was double that of the litter (table 1).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

Comparative study of humic acids of the mound of a wood-feeding termite and of the litter directly below in the Amazon river delta

Richard

Baddi

Costa³

et al. 2006

Chemistry and Ecology

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OATAO is an open access repository that collects the work of Toulouse researchers and makes it freely available over the web where possible. This is an author-deposited version published in : http://oatao.univ-toulouse.fr/ Eprints ID : 17585 In order to determine the role of termites in the recycling of organic matter and in humification processes, organic matter from the mound of a wood-feeding termite (Nasutitermes sp.) and from the litter directly below has been studied in secondary forest on the campus of Belem University, in Brazil. The carbon content was slightly lower in the litter ( just beneath the mound) than in the mound, but nitrogen was much more abundant in the mound. As a consequence, the C/N ratio of fragmented litter total organic matter is very high, which shows that the humification process is not complete. Therefore, plant debris seemed to be more degraded in the mound than in the litter, indicating a humification gradient from mound to litter. Humic acid extracted from the mound and from the litter was compared by using elemental, E4/E6 ratio, spectroscopic (FTIR) analyses, and Sephadex gel chromatography. First, humic acids were more abundant in the mound than in the litter, showing that humification processes were more advanced in the mound than in the litter. Gel-permeation chromatography showed that the humic acids of the mound contained more low-molecular-weight fractions than those of the litter. In addition, the results of infrared spectra, E4/E6 ratio and elemental composition can confirm the fulvic character of mound material and the humic character of litter material. Therefore, the plant debris seems to follow two different humification pathways in the two environments, as long as the mound is alive.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

Comparative study of humic acids of the mound of a wood-feeding termite and of the litter directly below in the Amazon river delta

Richard

Baddi

Costa³

et al. 2006

Chemistry and Ecology

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“…The nests of Nasutitermes sp. were similar to wood, confi rming their assignment to wood feeders as derived from density fractionation and lignin analyses of density separates (Amelung et al, 2002 ). Furthermore, the shift from wood to soil food incorporation in the sequence Nasutitermes > Cornitermes > Termes > Emibratermes , Anoplotermes as proposed by Amelung et al (2002) was confi rmed.…”

Section: Analytical Pyrolysis and Soft-ionization Mass Spectrometrymentioning

confidence: 54%

“…were similar to wood, confi rming their assignment to wood feeders as derived from density fractionation and lignin analyses of density separates (Amelung et al, 2002 ). Furthermore, the shift from wood to soil food incorporation in the sequence Nasutitermes > Cornitermes > Termes > Emibratermes , Anoplotermes as proposed by Amelung et al (2002) was confi rmed. However, the Py -FIMS data indicated that microepiphytes possibly also contributed to the food and nest chemical composition of Cornitermes, Termes, Anoplotermes and Emibratermes , although to a lesser extent than to the food of Constrictotermes .…”

Section: Analytical Pyrolysis and Soft-ionization Mass Spectrometrymentioning

confidence: 54%

“…Particulate vegetation residues are fi rst con- sumed by macro -and mesofauna organisms and subsequently by microorganisms. Martius (1992) and Amelung et al (2002) studied feeding strategies and food residues in termite nests in the Amazonian rain forest. Py -FIMS of nest materials and spectra evaluation by principal component analyses clearly separated soil, microepiphytes, and wood as principal food sources (Amelung et al, 2002 ) and the nest materials of the various termite genera and species (Figure 14.16 ).…”

Section: Analytical Pyrolysis and Soft-ionization Mass Spectrometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analytical Pyrolysis and Soft‐Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Leinweber

Jandl

Eckhardt

et al. 2009

Biophysico‐Chemical Processes Involving Natural Nonliving Organic Matter in Environmental Systems

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“…Owing to the bees' need for nesting substrates that minimize the thermal stress of the outside environment (Jones & Oldroyd, 2007), differences between termite nests concerning their quality of thermal insulation may bias the bees' nest-site selection.Whereas Nasutitermes build carton nests using wood particles in the construction, Microcerotermes use mainly soil and sand particles for building their nests (Emerson, 1938). This inclusion of mineral material results in an increased material density (Amelung et al, 2002) and, consequently, in an increased heat capacity of the material used for nest construction (John et al, 2005). Hence, in environments with elevated ambient temperatures, as is the case in the Brazilian Tropical Dry Forest, Microcerotermes nests may be more attractive for inquilines owing to the fact that more thermal energy is necessary to heat-up the building materialas compared to Nasutitermes nest.…”

Section: Short Notementioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunistic Occupation of Nests of Microcerotermes spp. Silvestri (Termitidae, Termitinae) by Partamona seridoensis Camargo & Pedro (Apidae, Meliponini) in the Brazilian Tropical Dry Forest

Oliveira¹,

Silva²,

Hrncir³

2016

Sociobiology

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Social bees make use of natural or animal-built structures to protect their colonies from environmental stressors. Here, particularly attractive shelters are active termite nests because they provide a stable climatic environment for inquilines. Several social bee species form obligatory associations with termites, among these the stingless bee Partamona seridoensis (Apidae, Meliponini), whose distribution is limited to the Tropical Dry Forest in the Brazilian Northeast. So far, colonies of this meliponine species have been found mainly in arboreal nests of the termite Constrictotermes cyphergaster, which suggests a tight relationship between these two social insect species. The present study was conducted in an area of the Tropical Dry Forest in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte, where P. seridoensis naturally occurs albeit the absence of C. cyphergaster. We registered 14 colonies of P. seridoensis, all occupying active arboreal nests of termites of the genus Microcerotermes. The only other termites with arboreal nests present in the study area, Nasutitermes corniger, never housed P. seridoensis. This selective preference of the bees for Microcerotermes nests might be due to differences between termites concerning defense mechanisms or concerning thermal stability within the nests.

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Lignin characteristics and density fractions of termite nests in an Amazonian rain forest—indicators of termite feeding guilds?

Cited by 36 publications

References 22 publications

Comparative study of humic acids of the mound of a wood-feeding termite and of the litter directly below in the Amazon river delta

Comparative study of humic acids of the mound of a wood-feeding termite and of the litter directly below in the Amazon river delta

Analytical Pyrolysis and Soft‐Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Opportunistic Occupation of Nests of Microcerotermes spp. Silvestri (Termitidae, Termitinae) by Partamona seridoensis Camargo & Pedro (Apidae, Meliponini) in the Brazilian Tropical Dry Forest

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