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Dynamic environments of fungus‐farming termite mounds exert growth‐modulating effects on fungal crop parasites
Author(s) -
Katariya Lakshya,
Ramesh Priya B.,
Borges Renee M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.14026
Subject(s) - biology , parasite hosting , microclimate , fungus , crop , ecology , relative humidity , standing crop , botany , biomass (ecology) , physics , world wide web , computer science , thermodynamics
Summary This study investigated for the first time the impact of the internal mound environment of fungus‐growing termites on the growth of fungal crop parasites. Mounds of the termite Odontotermes obesus acted as (i) temperature and relative humidity (RH) ‘stabilisers’ showing dampened daily variation and (ii) ‘extreme environments’ exhibiting elevated RH and CO 2 levels, compared to the outside. Yet, internal temperatures exhibited seasonal dynamics as did daily and seasonal CO 2 levels. During in situ experiments under termite‐excluded conditions within the mound, the growth of the crop parasite Pseudoxylaria was greater inside than outside the mound, i.e., Pseudoxylaria is ‘termitariophilic’. Also, ex situ experiments on parasite isolates differing in growth rates and examined under controlled conditions in the absence of termites revealed a variable effect with fungal growth decreasing only under high CO 2 and low temperature conditions, reflecting the in situ parasite growth fluctuations. In essence, the parasite appears to be adapted to survive in the termite mound. Thus the mound microclimate does not inhibit the parasite but the dynamic environmental conditions of the mound affect its growth to varying extents. These results shed light on the impact of animal‐engineered structures on parasite ecology, independent of any direct role of animal engineers.