Premium
Carbon mineralization by termites in tropical forests, with emphasis on fungus combs
Author(s) -
Yamada Akinori,
Inoue Tetsushi,
Wiwatwitaya Decha,
Ohkuma Moriya,
Kudo Toshiaki,
Abe Takuya,
Sugimoto Atsuko
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
ecological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1440-1703
pISSN - 0912-3814
DOI - 10.1007/s11284-005-0062-9
Subject(s) - mineralization (soil science) , tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests , evergreen forest , fungus , biomass (ecology) , ecosystem , tropics , evergreen , termitidae , plant litter , soil respiration , carbon cycle , ecology , environmental science , tropical forest , biology , botany , soil water
A role of termites in decomposition processes was quantitatively evaluated in a dry evergreen forest (DEF) in Thailand, using respiration rates and biomasses of fungus combs as well as of termites themselves. The termite population and fungus combs mineralized 11.2% of carbon (C) in the annual aboveground litterfall (AAL) by their respiration. Fungus combs were responsible for a major part (7.2% of the AAL) of the C mineralization mediated by termites. For comparison, fractions of AAL mineralized by respiration from termite populations and fungus combs were estimated for tropical forests and savannas where termites have been well studied, assuming that there is the same ratio as for the DEF between biomass of fungus combs and abundance of fungus growers. Termites in dry tropical forests (annual rainfall<2,000 mm) are shown to mineralize about 10% of C in the AAL by respiration from their populations and fungus combs, and their ecological impact in savannahs is comparable in this aspect. A significant negative correlation between fraction of AAL and annual rainfall demonstrates that the importance of termites in decomposition processes is greater in dry tropical forests than in moist tropical forests. Considering that fungus combs contributed significantly to AAL mineralization in most of the tropical forests and savannas, fungus growers are a much more influential group than previously expected in tropical ecosystems.