Soil genesis and heterogeneity of phosphorus forms and carbon below mounds inhabited by primary and secondary termites

Rückamp, Daniel; Martius, Christopher; Bornemann, Ludger; Kurzatkowski, Dariusz; Naval, Líliana Pena; Amelung, Wulf

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.10.004

Cited by 27 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Apart from V. heteropterus , it is possible that the negative association between builder and cohabitant species occurs because these termites prefer the nesting material left behind after the builder is gone. The mound structure and composition may be modified by secondary cohabitants (Rückamp et al ., ), or even by weathering, into a more suitable environment for other termites. Embiratermes festivelus and Curvitermes minor may represent this successional stage as they are associated with higher species richness in the mound (see ‘Builder Colony effect’ results).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Termite cohabitation: the relative effect of biotic and abiotic factors on mound biodiversity

Marins

Costa

Russo

et al. 2016

Ecological Entomology

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1. Termites are important ecosystem engineers that improve primary productivity in trees and animal diversity outside their mounds. However, their ecological relationship with the species nesting inside their mounds is poorly understood.2. The presence of termite cohabitant colonies inside 145 Cornitermes cumulans mounds of known size and location was recorded. Using network-theoretical methods in conjunction with a suite of statistical analyses, the relative influence of biotic and abiotic drivers of termite within-mound diversity on the composition and species richness of the termite community was investigated, specifically builder presence and physical aspects of the mound.3. We found that richness inside the mound increases with mound size, and the species similarity between mounds decreases with distance. The physical attributes (abiotic drivers) of termite mounds (size and relative distance to other mounds) are the strongest predictors of termite species richness and composition. The biotic driver (presence of a builder colony) has an important, though smaller, negative effect on within-mound termite species richness.4. The findings suggest that the termites' physical manipulation of their environment is an important driver of within-mound community diversity. More generally, the approach taken here, using a combination of statistical and network-theoretical methods, can be used to determine the relative importance of abiotic and biotic drivers of diversity in a wide range of communities of interacting species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Termite cohabitation: the relative effect of biotic and abiotic factors on mound biodiversity

Marins

Costa

Russo

et al. 2016

Ecological Entomology

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“…A previous study in French Guiana indicated that abandoned termite nests were richer in OM and elements compared with bare soil, making them attractive for secondary occupancy (Bourguignon et al 2015a). However, studies on mound-building termites from Brazilian Cerrado showed that nests inhabited by primary termites were richer in elements and OM than secondarily colonized nests, and that some nutrients (e.g., nitrate) leach from the latter (Rückamp et al 2009(Rückamp et al , 2012. This observation is in contrast to the higher concentration of elements found in the arboreal nests inhabited by C. tuberosus.…”

Section: Nutrient-rich Arboreal Nestsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Nest composition, stable isotope ratios and microbiota unravel the feeding behaviour of an inquiline termite

et al. 2019

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Termites are eusocial insects having evolved several feeding, nesting and reproductive strategies. Among them, inquiline termites live in a nest built by other termite species: some of them do not forage outside the nest, but feed on food stored by the host or on the nest material itself. In this study, we characterized some dimensions of the ecological niche of Cavitermes tuberosus (Termitidae: Termitinae), a broad-spectrum inquiline termite with a large neotropical distribution, to explain its ecological success. We used an integrative framework combining ecological measures (physico-chemical parameters, stable isotopic ratios of N and C) and Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene to identify bacterial communities and to analyse termites as well as the material from nests constructed by different termite hosts (the builders). Our results show that (1) nests inhabited by C. tuberosus display a different physico-chemical composition when compared to nests inhabited by its builder alone; (2) stable isotopic ratios suggest that C. tuberosus feeds on already processed, more humified, nest organic matter; and (3) the gut microbiomes cluster by termite species, with the one of C. tuberosus being much more diverse and highly similar to the one of its main host, Labiotermes labralis. These results support the hypothesis that C. tuberosus is a generalist nest feeder adapted to colonize nests built by various builders, and explain its ecological success.

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“…The mounds occupied by the termites of the genus Embiratermes had a homogeneous structure, which was denser than those occupied by Velocitermes; both mounds showed no central area and material Mean values (7 replicate) followed by the same letter within columns are not significantly different according to Bonferroni test (P < 0.05). Bezerra-Gusmão et al, 2011;Sarcinelli et al, 2009;Holt & Lepage, 2000;Lee & Wood, 1971), and also between the soil below and surrounding the mound (Rückamp et al, 2012).…”

Section: Total Organic Carbon and Grain-size Fractionation Of Soil Ormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After the destruction of the mound, the material of the termite mound is redistributed through erosion and affects soil fertility (Sarcinelli et al, 2009;Schaefer, 2001;Lee & Wood, 1971). In addition, even active mounds can add nutrients to the soil (Rückamp et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Epigeal Termite Mounds in Pastures

et al. 2018

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We characterized soil physical and chemical properties and soil organic matter in epigeal termite mounds in pastures to evaluate the changes promoted by termites in comparison to an adjacent area. We selected seven active epigeal termite mounds in the municipality of Seropédica, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Soil samples were collected from top, center and base positions of each mound, at 0.50 and 1.50 m distance from the base of the mound. We identified individuals of the genus Embiratermes, Velocitermes, and Orthognathotermes. The humin fraction predominated over the humic and fulvic acid fractions both in mounds and adjacent soil. The amount of organic matter and the mineral fractions (mineral-associated organic carbon -MOC) varied among builder species. The studied chemical attributes point to a higher concentration of nutrients in the mounds than in the adjacent soil.

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Soil genesis and heterogeneity of phosphorus forms and carbon below mounds inhabited by primary and secondary termites

Cited by 27 publications

References 66 publications

Termite cohabitation: the relative effect of biotic and abiotic factors on mound biodiversity

Termite cohabitation: the relative effect of biotic and abiotic factors on mound biodiversity

Nest composition, stable isotope ratios and microbiota unravel the feeding behaviour of an inquiline termite

Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in Epigeal Termite Mounds in Pastures

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