Clay composition and properties in termite mounds of the Lubumbashi area, D.R. Congo

Mujinya, Basile Bazirake; Mees, Florias; Erens, Hans; Dumon, Mathijs; Baert, Geert; Boeckx, Pascal; Ngongo, Michel; Ranst, Éric Van

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.08.010

Cited by 71 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Mound materials were sampled from two active M. falciger mounds (mound 1, 11°33=48.47ЉS, 27°29=53.79ЉE; mound 2, 11°29=22.21ЉS, 27°35=53.96ЉE) in June 2011. The physiochemical properties of termite mound material from the same area have been documented before (21,25). The mounds were partially destroyed to sample a vertical profile through the chimney and nest and were left to recover for 3 months.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, for many fungus-growing termite mounds, in situ gas flux measurement is made challenging by the dimensions (diameter, ϳ18 m; height, ϳ5 m) of the mounds (21). In this study, we investigated the response of methane oxidation to termite activity along a vertical profile through a termite (Macrotermes falciger) mound covering its base, active nest area, and chimney in order to determine the sites with potential methanotrophic activity.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Termites Facilitate Methane Oxidation and Shape the Methanotrophic Community

Erens

Mujinya

et al. 2013

Appl Environ Microbiol

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g Termite-derived methane contributes 3 to 4% to the total methane budget globally. Termites are not known to harbor methaneoxidizing microorganisms (methanotrophs). However, a considerable fraction of the methane produced can be consumed by methanotrophs that inhabit the mound material, yet the methanotroph ecology in these environments is virtually unknown. The potential for methane oxidation was determined using slurry incubations under conditions with high (12%) and in situ (ϳ0.004%) methane concentrations through a vertical profile of a termite (Macrotermes falciger) mound and a reference soil. Interestingly, the mound material showed higher methanotrophic activity. The methanotroph community structure was determined by means of a pmoA-based diagnostic microarray. Although the methanotrophs in the mound were derived from populations in the reference soil, it appears that termite activity selected for a distinct community. Applying an indicator species analysis revealed that putative atmospheric methane oxidizers (high-indicator-value probes specific for the JR3 cluster) were indicative of the active nest area, whereas methanotrophs belonging to both type I and type II were indicative of the reference soil. We conclude that termites modify their environment, resulting in higher methane oxidation and selecting and/or enriching for a distinct methanotroph population.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Termites Facilitate Methane Oxidation and Shape the Methanotrophic Community

Erens

Mujinya

et al. 2013

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…For construction, fungus-growers transport clay-enriched soil from deep soil horizons to the soil surface (e.g., Jouquet et al, 2004;Abe et al, 2009Abe et al, , 2012Edosomwan et al, 2012;Mujinya et al, 2013). This enrichment in clay particles improves the resistance of termite mounds to predators and rain and it is usually more significant in long-lasting structures than in short-lived soil constructions (Jouquet et al, 2002(Jouquet et al, , 2005(Jouquet et al, , 2007(Jouquet et al, , 2015a.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of soil type on the properties of termite mound nests in Southern India

Jouquet

Guilleux

Shanbhag

et al. 2015

Applied Soil Ecology

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“…Besides the gradual contribution of C3 plants, the C and N contents are higher when compared with other pedons from the transect, as are CEC, V, pH and average clay content. These results, added to the occurrence of clayey lamellae without lateral continuity in the field and isotropic fine material elongated in photomicrographs of the Btgn, may be indicative of the termite activities on the formation of this landform (Black and Okwakol, 1997;Lal, 1988;Lee and Wood, 1971;Miedema et al, 1994;Mujinya et al, 2013;Sarcinelli et al, 2009).…”

Section: Genesis and Evolution Of The Transectmentioning

confidence: 79%

Pedogenesis in a Pleistocene fluvial system of the Northern Pantanal — Brazil

et al. 2015

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Sedimentology and hydrology seem to play a predominant role in soil formation in the Pantanal, since the fluvial systems of this wetland provided Quaternary sediments and shaped the landscape. However, pedogenic processes are active in this region mainly due to the floods that occur during the summer and fall season. The goal of this work was to study the pedogenesis in a representative transect on the São Lourenço fluvial fan, which has an area of about 16,000 km 2 and is one of the largest sedimentary compartments of the Northern Pantanal, West Central Brazil. A transect of 125 m was studied in the late Pleistocene sedimentary lobe of the fluvial fan, where four landform elements were identified (paleo-channel, paleo-levee, paleo-floodplain and mound) and described to show the soil horizon boundaries along the landform unit. Samples were collected from trenches, auger holes, and boreholes, and were analyzed for soil description and characterization. Soil analyses carried out were: macroand micromorphological, physical, chemical, mineralogical, C isotope fractionation, and OSL dating analyses. The set of evidence shows that the studied transect originated from Pleistocene sediments due to the activity of the São Lourenço fluvial fan. The following soil-landform element relationships developed: Quartzipsamments in the paleo-channel; Plinthaquults in the paleo-levee and paleo-floodplain and; Natrustalfs in the mound. Evidences of pedogenic processes in the transect are: a) clay eluviation and illuviation, resulting in formation of the Bt horizon in the soils at the lower part of the transect and mound; b) gleization and plinthization, mainly at the lower part of the transect, resulting in formation of mottles, reduced soil matrix, and nodules (plinthite and petroplinthite); c) bioturbation, responsible for addition of materials at the soil surface, assisting in the formation/maintenance of the mound; and d) the sodium concentration, observed in soils that have higher clay contents, which are highest in the mound has the highest levels.

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Clay composition and properties in termite mounds of the Lubumbashi area, D.R. Congo

Cited by 71 publications

References 47 publications

Termites Facilitate Methane Oxidation and Shape the Methanotrophic Community

Termites Facilitate Methane Oxidation and Shape the Methanotrophic Community

Influence of soil type on the properties of termite mound nests in Southern India

Pedogenesis in a Pleistocene fluvial system of the Northern Pantanal — Brazil

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