Soil properties of termite mounds under different land uses in a Typic Kandiudult of southern Cameroon

Hulugalle, N. R.; Ndi, J. N.

doi:10.1016/0167-8809(93)90006-b

Cited by 14 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Although supportive of earlier studies (e.g. Sheikh & Kayani 1982; Hulugalle & Ndi 1993) and strong evidence for a role in soil structure formation and maintenance the real significance of M. michaelseni in the Okavango Delta is that these modifications to soil properties are the precursor to biotically mediated feedforward mechanisms that ultimately define the landscape of the floodplain system (Fig. 2).…”

Section: Links Between Soil Biota and Soil Structure: Case Studiessupporting

confidence: 63%

The interaction of soil biota and soil structure under global change

Young

Blanchart

Chenu

et al. 1998

Global Change Biology

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The structural framework of soil mediates all soil processes, at all relevant scales. The spatio‐temporal heterogeneity prevalent in most soils underpins the majority of biological diversity in soil, providing refuge sites for prey against predator, flow paths for biota to move, or be moved, and localized pools of substrate for biota to multiply. Just as importantly, soil biota play a crucial role in mediating soil structure: bacteria and fungi aggregate and stabilize structure at small scales (μm–cm) and earthworms and termites stabilize and create larger‐scale structures (mm–m). The stability of this two‐way interaction of structure and biota relations is crucial to the sustainability of the ecosystem. Soil is constantly reacting to changes in microclimates, and many of the soil–plant–microbe processes rely on the functioning of subtle chemical and physical gradients. The effect of global change on soil structure–biota interactions may be significant, through alterations in precipitation, temperature events, or land‐use. Nonetheless, because of the complexity and the ubiquitous heterogeneity of these interactions, it is difficult to extrapolate from general qualitative predictions of the effects of perturbations to specific reactions. This paper reviews some of the main soil structure–biota interactions, particularly focusing on soil stability, and the role of biota mediating soil structures. The effect of alterations in climate and land‐use on these interactions is investigated. Several case studies of the effect of land‐use change are presented.

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Section: Links Between Soil Biota and Soil Structure: Case Studiessupporting

confidence: 63%

The interaction of soil biota and soil structure under global change

Young

Blanchart

Chenu

et al. 1998

Global Change Biology

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“…(1) the mound density correlates with the mound size becoming less than two mound ha À1 when the mound becomes over 2 m tall (Collins 1981a), and (2) anthropogenic disturbance such as bush clearing and subsequent farming reduces the mound density (Hullugale and Ndi 1993;Ekundayo and Aghatise 1997). Moreover, our preliminary survey by means of field observation and farmer interview revealed that the majority Fig.…”

Section: Study Plotmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil particle accumulation in termite (Macrotermes bellicosus) mounds and the implications for soil particle dynamics in a tropical savanna Ultisol

Abe

Kotegawa

Onishi

et al. 2011

Ecological Research

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This study investigated the influence of moundbuilding termites on soil particle dynamics on the land surface and in soil-forming processes by examining the amount of soil particles in mound structures of Macrotermes bellicosus in a highly weathered Ultisol of tropical savanna. Soil particle turnover via the mounds was estimated using particle stock data and soil turnover data from previous studies. A 4-ha study plot with six mounds of relatively uniform shape and size was investigated. Soil mass constituting the mounds was 6,166 ± 1,581 kg mound À1 within which the mound wall and nest body accounted for 5,002 ± 1,289 and 1,164 ± 293 kg, respectively. The mound wall contained a significantly larger amount of clay (252 ± 9.97 g kg À1 ) balanced with a lower sand content (676 ± 26.5 g kg À1 ) than in the adjacent surface (Ap1) horizon, (46.4 ± 12.8 g clay kg À1 ; 866 ± 83.2 g sand kg À1 ); the nest body had much higher clay content (559 ± 51.0 g kg À1 ) but less sand (285 ± 79.2 g kg À1 ) than the mound wall. As a result, the mounds of M. bellicosus accumulated clay of 2,874 ± 781 kg ha À1 (corresponding to 2.52% of clay stock in the Ap1 horizon) along with an estimated clay turnover rate of 169 kg ha À1 year À1 . These findings suggest a positive feedback effect from termite mound-building activity on soil particle dynamics in tropical savanna ecosystems: M. bellicosus preferentially use subsoil material for mound construction, resulting in relocation of illuvial clay in the subsoil to the land surface where clay eluviation from the surface soil and its illuviation in the subsoil are major soil-forming processes.

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“…Although often masked by other factors, such engineering must impact on community properties wherever mound building termites occur. We would suggest that the extensive literature on how termites modify soils and nutrient cycling in Africa (Hulugalle & Ndi 1993, Jones 1990, Pomeroy 1983, North America (Elkins et al 1986), Australia (Holt & Coventry 1990, Lobry de Bruyn & Conacher 1990 and Asia (Lal 1987) might be reconsidered in the light of the termites as ecosystem engineers.…”

Section: Conc Lus I On Smentioning

confidence: 99%

The mound-building termite Macrotermes michaelseni as an ecosystem engineer

1998

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Many organisms create or alter resource flows that affect the composition and spatial arrangement of current and future organismal diversity. The phenomenon called ecosystem engineering is considered with a case study of the mound building termite Macrotermes michaelseni. It is argued that this species acts as an ecosystem engineer across a range of spatial scales, from alteration of local infiltration rates to the creation of landscape mosaics, and that its impacts accrue because of the initiation of biophysical processes that often include feedback mechanisms. These changes to resource flows are likely to persist for long periods and constrain the biological structure of the habitat. The value of ecosystem engineering is discussed as a holistic way of understanding the complexity of tropical ecology.

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Soil properties of termite mounds under different land uses in a Typic Kandiudult of southern Cameroon

Cited by 14 publications

References 5 publications

The interaction of soil biota and soil structure under global change

The interaction of soil biota and soil structure under global change

Soil particle accumulation in termite (Macrotermes bellicosus) mounds and the implications for soil particle dynamics in a tropical savanna Ultisol

The mound-building termite Macrotermes michaelseni as an ecosystem engineer

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