Ecosystem services of termites (Blattoidea: Termitoidae) in the traditional soil restoration and cropping system Zaï in northern Burkina Faso (West Africa)

Kaiser, Dorkas; Lepage, Michel; Konaté, Souleymane; Linsenmair, K. Eduard

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2016.11.023

Cited by 50 publications

(53 citation statements)

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“…In general, soil clay is positively correlated with carbon content, which in turn could affect soil aggregation (Dorkas et al, 2017) and could physically protect organic from degradation . In general, soil clay is positively correlated with carbon content, which in turn could affect soil aggregation (Dorkas et al, 2017) and could physically protect organic from degradation .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Then, after removing the litter layer, we randomly took eight soil samples (soil scrapes), each 0.12 × 0.12 m and 0.15 m deep, which were searched throughout (Dorkas, Michel, Souleymane, & Karl, 2017). Then, after removing the litter layer, we randomly took eight soil samples (soil scrapes), each 0.12 × 0.12 m and 0.15 m deep, which were searched throughout (Dorkas, Michel, Souleymane, & Karl, 2017).…”

Section: Termite Communities' Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In each section of transects, we first searched for termites in as many different microhabitats as possible (such as accumulations of litter, inside and underneath dead logs and twigs, epigeal mounds, and runways on vegetation). Then, after removing the litter layer, we randomly took eight soil samples (soil scrapes), each 0.12 × 0.12 m and 0.15 m deep, which were searched throughout (Dorkas, Michel, Souleymane, & Karl, 2017). Priority was given to finding soldiers, as they are the easiest to identify, but workers were collected as well.…”

Section: Termite Communities' Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Termite footprints in restored versus degraded agrosystems in South West Niger

et al. 2019

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One approach to achieving sustainable food security is to maintain or restore natural ecosystem services that diminish dependence on human inputs to agrosystems. More efficient use of agrosystem restoration practices can be achieved with the aid of termites' activities, which positively influence the physicochemical and hydraulic properties of soils in favor of productive soil. However, termites have a significant place in agrosystems, but it has remained under exploited and unrefined and needs to be restored to increase its yield. Here, we quantify the colonization rates of termites on marginal soils and in agrosystems with ongoing restoration efforts, as well as determine their footprints on soil characteristics over a 2-year period in semi-arid Niger. We used a rapid assessment protocol, a technic used to assess termites' population in semi-arid regions, adapted from an earlier studies. The results from various analyses showed that termite abundance, richness, and diversity were 15% to 45% higher in the restored agrosystems than in the degraded ones. The evenness did not augment in the restored habitats what might result from the changes in soil properties triggered by clearcutting. Moreover, organic compounds, particularly carbon, nitrogen, in some cases phosphorus, and exchangeable cations are more abundant in restored sites where termite activities are intense than in the controls. A higher termite diversity and abundance are important factors underlying positive changes in soil properties. This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of termite species in restoring degraded soil and in maintaining long-term soil fertility, thereby facilitating sustainable agriculture.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Termite Communities' Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Termite Communities' Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Termite footprints in restored versus degraded agrosystems in South West Niger

et al. 2019

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“…By creating tunnels, the foraging activity of termites increases the water infiltration rate by a factor of 2 to 4 (Kaiser et al . ).…”

Section: Ecosystem Services Provided By Termitesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Their activity greatly improves water infiltration where termite tunnels in the soil allow rainwater to soak in deeply and helps reduce run-off and consequent soil erosion, through bioturbation, or biological mixing (Lofjle & Kubiniok 1996). By creating tunnels, the foraging activity of termites increases the water infiltration rate by a factor of 2 to 4 (Kaiser et al 2017).…”

Section: Soil Looseningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic and ecological importance of termites: A global review

Govorushko

2018

Entomological Science

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In this review article, the positive and negative impacts of termites on ecosystems and human activities are examined. Various ecosystem services provided by termites – their importance as a food resource for humans, wildlife and domestic animals – are discussed, along with the use of these insects in scientific research and in folk and traditional medicine. Some insufficiently studied properties of termites (their ability to perceive the radiation of radioactive substances, electric fields and magnetic fields), as well as the use of termites in bionics, are described. Special attention is paid to the use of termite mounds for different purposes (e.g. in mineral deposit searches, in medical applications, as furnaces for copper smelting, for storage of some nuts, as burial sites, for gathering of edible mushrooms of the genus Termitomyces and as fertilizer). Examples of such use in different countries are given. This article reviews the activities of termites as pests of agriculture and forestry, including crops that are most affected, and termites as structural pests (e.g. wooden structures, household furniture, books and museum collections). Examples of termites’ malicious activities in different parts of the world are provided. Information on the invasions of termites is given, and the main areas of expansion of their habitat are described. The economic loss caused by termites in some countries and the world as a whole are presented. The article also lists the most economically important termite species in the world.

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Soil‐texture affects the influence of termite macropores on soil water infiltration in a semi‐arid savanna

2020

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Subterranean termites create tunnels (macropores) for foraging that can influence water infiltration and may lead to preferential flow to deeper soil layers. This is particularly important in water limited ecosystems such as semi-arid, agriculturally utilized savannas, which are particularly prone to land degradation and shrubencroachment. Using termite activity has been suggested as a restoration measure, but their impact on hydrology is neither universal nor yet fully understood. Here, we used highly replicated, small-scale (50 × 50 cm) rain-simulation experiments to analyse the interacting effects of either vegetation (grass dominated vs. shrub dominated sites) or soil texture (sand vs. loamy sand) and termite foraging macropores on infiltration patterns. We used Brilliant Blue FCF as colour tracer to make the flow pathways in paired experiments visible, on either termite-disturbed soil or controls without surface macropores in two semi-arid Namibian savannas (with either heterogeneous soil texture or shrub cover). On highly shrub-encroached plots in the savanna site with heterogeneous soil texture, termite macropores increased maximum infiltration depth and total amount of infiltrated water on loamy sand, but not on sandy soil. In the sandy savanna with heterogeneous shrub cover, neither termite activity nor shrub density affected the infiltration. Termite's effect on infiltration depends on the soil's hydraulic conductivity and occurs mostly under ponded conditions, intercepting runoff. In semi-arid savanna soils with a considerable fraction of fine particles, termites are likely an important factor for soil water dynamics.

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Ecosystem services of termites (Blattoidea: Termitoidae) in the traditional soil restoration and cropping system Zaï in northern Burkina Faso (West Africa)

Cited by 50 publications

References 50 publications

Termite footprints in restored versus degraded agrosystems in South West Niger

Termite footprints in restored versus degraded agrosystems in South West Niger

Economic and ecological importance of termites: A global review

Soil‐texture affects the influence of termite macropores on soil water infiltration in a semi‐arid savanna

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