The Role of Termites in Soil Formation in the Tropical Semi-Deciduous Forest Zone, Ghana

Abstract

Soil Macrofauna especially insects have been recognized as being an important factor in regulating soil processes and thereby the soil profile development. The influence of earthworms is well documented and it is the dominant member of the soil macrofauna influencing the soil formation processes in the temperate zone. In the tropics, termites and ants play the major role in the nutrient recycling and the movement and transportation of soil material. This paper describes the influence of termites on the soil formation in the tropical wet semi-deciduous forest in Ghana at the north coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The termites form distinct soil horizons especially at the summits of the landscapes where grave/free soil horizons are formed upon gravel rich horizons, and in some cases soil heaps are formed after the decomposition of huge trees.

Quantification of termite bioturbation in a savannah ecosystem: Application of OSL dating

“…The soil physical and chemical properties correspond to what previous authors have found in studies of savannah termites (Lobry de Bruyn and Conacher, 1990) and similar to what some of the architects behind the conceptual model found (Nye, 1955;Awadzi et al, 2004;Breuning-Madsen et al, 2007). The topsoil is gravel free, as is the termite mound itself, despite the presence of considerable amounts of gravel in the soil below (Kristensen, 2014).…”

“…We cannot unambiguously identify the dominant sediment source, which gives rise to the mound characteristics (and at least in principle there may not be such a source). Thus, we cannot ultimately decide between the two possible reasons for the pattern in 226 Ra/ 232 Th and it may be a combination, which corresponds to the conclusion of Awadzi et al (2004) and Breuning-Madsen et al (2007) made on similar soil physical and chemical datasets in their studies of forest termites in Ghana. However, one should be careful when comparing different termite groups as they modify the soil profile differently.…”

“…Note the gravel free topsoil (unit I+II) presumed to consist of eroded mound material (buried pediments). The relative increase in gravel (iron nodules) in unit III is due to the upconcentration of gravel in the termite mining area due to their apparent inability to carry particles larger than roughly 1 mm in diameter (Awadzi et al, 2004). The units here correspond to the units in Figure 1C.…”

Contribution of legume tree residues and macrofauna to the improvement of abiotic soil properties in the eastern Amazon

“…In addition, termites increase soil porosity by tunneling through the soil. They transport many subsoil materials to dead wood, where they paste it on walls or plug old galleries (Awadzi et al, 2004). Infiltration is an indicator of the soil's ability to allow water movement into and through the soil profile.…”

Characteristics and genesis of pisolitic soil layers in a tropical moist semi-deciduous forest of Ghana

“…In Ghana and other countries in West Africa, layers of pisolites mixed with gravelly rock fragments, mainly quartz, are found on summits and upper slopes of landscapes in moist semi-deciduous forest soils (Nye, 1954;Dijkerman and Miedema, 1988;Adu, 1992). The gravelly layers, which are rarely more than 1 m thick, are exposed at the surface or covered by a shallow gravel-free soil layer, and they are overlain by soil layers with few or no gravels (Dijkerman and Miedema, 1988;Adu, 1992;Awadzi et al, 2004).…”