Understanding the impact of fire on termites in degraded tropical peatlands and the mechanisms for their ecological success: current knowledge and research needs

Abstract

Peatlands have experienced large scale changes due to extensive deforestation for logging, conversion to agro-industrial plantations, and frequent peat fires. The adverse effects of peat fires can lead to long-term impacts on invertebrate biodiversity in the peatland ecosystem. Although the impact of fire on termite diversity in tropical grasslands and savannas has been the focus of increased attention in recent years, little is known about the effects of peat fires on termite assemblages. In this review, we present available information about the impact of human use of peatlands on termite assemblages in the Indo-Malayan region. By synthesizing the currently available studies conducted in temperate and tropical savanna systems, we highlight the need for studies of the relationship between termites and fireimpacted tropical peatlands. We consider the ecological and biological scenarios in fire-impacted peatland that are likely to shape termite assemblages, and we discuss traits of the surviving genera (i.e., Coptotermes, Schedorhinotermes, and Parrhinotermes) that may contribute to their success in the harsh post-fire peatland environment (e.g., colony fusion, colony breeding structure, subsidiary nests, and colony migration). Knowledge of these strategies is crucial for understanding the evolutionary adaptation process of termites. This review also aims to stimulate further research in using termite ecosystem services to restore the fertility of degraded fire-impacted peatlands.

No evidence for an elephant-termite feedback loop in Sand Forest, South Africa

“…Since we did not detect a difference in wood-feeding termites between the two elephant treatments, this suggests that termites in Sand Forest are resilient to natural (elephant) disturbance, which may be less severe than human disturbance. This is further supported by studies that have found wood-and soil-feeding termites to be relatively resilient to fire, another natural disturbance (Avitabile et al, 2015;Davies et al, 2012;Neoh et al, 2015). Similarly, soil-feeding termites have been shown to be very sensitive to anthropogenic forest disturbance elsewhere (Eggleton et al, 1996), but were unaffected by elephant presence in our study, supporting the notion that elephant disturbance is less severe compared with human disturbance.…”

The effect of remnant forest on insect successional response in tropical fire-impacted peatland: A bi-taxa comparison

“…Termite and ant diversity usually decreases with increased land use disturbance [13,14,15]. The relatively high temperature of tropical peat fires and their long-lasting smoldering effects elicit greater detrimental impacts on soil-dwelling insects (e.g., termites) [16]. …”

Termites Distribution and Diversity in Different Land Uses in Mozambique: Implications for Management

“…However, the pattern observed in this study diverges from that observed by Materu et al [59], who found that the gradient of land use intensification did not have a significant effect on the richness, abundance and diversity of termite species in Tanzania. A plausible explanation for the pattern observed by Materu et al [59] is that the most disturbed habitat was an agroforestry system, inserted in a primary forest, which could host many species, serving as a refuge for species sensitive to disturbances; and later it would facilitate the recolonization of species that were initially eliminated [60].…”