The origin and implications of variations in soil-related properties within Macrotermes falciger mounds

Erens, Hans; Mujinya, Basile Bazirake; Mees, Florias; Baert, Geert; Boeckx, Pascal; Malaisse, François; Ranst, Éric Van

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.03.003

Cited by 42 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Although termites are considered as heterogeneity drivers (sensu Jouquet et al, 2015c) and termite mounds as hot-spots or patches with specific physical, chemical and biological properties at the ecosystem scale (e.g., Konaté et al, 1999;Choosai et al, 2009;Muvengwi et al, 2013;Seymour et al, 2014;Bonachela et al, 2015), very limited data are available on the heterogeneity in soil properties within termite mounds (Erens et al, 2015). Further, to our knowledge, no information is available on the evolution of termite mound properties over time.…”

Section: Influence Of Termite Mound Sizementioning

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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Section: Influence Of Termite Mound Sizementioning

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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“…No definite pattern nor significant differences between transect points were found for the CEC (Erens et al, 2015), concentrations of the latter were not elevated in soils that received mound material. Fertilizer application likely undid initial differences between sampling locations, considering the relatively high cation contents of the reference soils in this field compared to local woodland topsoils (Erens et al, 2015).…”

Section: Influence On Soil Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Fertilizer application likely undid initial differences between sampling locations, considering the relatively high cation contents of the reference soils in this field compared to local woodland topsoils (Erens et al, 2015). MC samples with high exchangeable Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ values invariably contained relatively large amounts of carbonates, which will have led to an overestimation of the content of these exchangeable cations.…”

Section: Influence On Soil Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 96%

“…As expected, N t and total organic carbon (TOC) were found to be significantly correlated within the MC (r s= 0.655), MD (r s= 0.855), ME (r s= 0.936) as well as RS samples (r s= 0.618). In termite mounds of the A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 8 Lubumbashi area, organic matter content of the outer layer of the mounds, representing only a small part of their total volume, is similar to that of the surrounding topsoil, whereas more central parts of the mounds and the soil beneath the mounds has a much lower content (Erens et al, 2015). This explains the very low C org concentrations (mean=0.62, SE=0.08) at the MC sites compared to the RS sites (mean=2.03, SE=0.15).…”

Section: Influence On Soil Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 97%

“…These mounds are built by subsequent generations of Macrotermes falciger, using subsoil material that is enriched in clay and silt. Over time, termite foraging combined with limited leaching results in accumulation of decomposition products and other mobile compounds in the centre of the mounds, turning them into nutrient sinks (Erens et al, 2015). Termite mound material therefore differs considerably from the topsoil of surrounding Ferralsols.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Spreading Out Termite Mound Material on Ferralsol Fertility, Katanga, D.R. Congo

Adhikary

Erens

Weemaels

et al. 2016

Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis

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Around Lubumbashi, the introduction of large-scale pivot-irrigated agriculture entails levelling of large termite mounds during field preparation. The effect on soil fertility and crop yield (Solanum tuberosum and Alium cepa) is evaluated along 11 transects extending from a former termite mound location to reference soil that received no termite mound material. Spreading mound material was found to increase the pH, calcium carbonates CaCO 3 content and the amount of resin-extractable phosphorus (P), other possible effects being undone by fertilizer application. On the other hand, poor physical properties of the mound material seem to have adverse effects on crop production. While the benefits of spreading out mound material seem Downloaded by [University of Leeds] at 11:06 18 May 2016A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 2 limited for large-scale farmers with access to fertilizers, the use of mound material may present an opportunity to resource-poor farmers throughout the miombo eco-region, provided that the application of mound materials is optimized and that any adverse effect on soil physical properties can be mitigated.

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Quantifying erosional equilibrium across a slowly eroding, soil mantled landscape

Heimsath

Chadwick

Roering

et al. 2020

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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The textbook concept of an equilibrium landscape, which posits that soil production and erosion are balanced and equal channel incision, is rarely quantified for natural systems. In contrast to mountainous, rapidly eroding terrain, low relief and slow‐eroding landscapes are poorly studied despite being widespread and densely inhabited. We use three field sites along a climosequence in South Africa to quantify very slow (2‐5 m/My) soil production rates that do not vary across hillslopes or with climate. We show these rates to be indistinguishable from spatially invariant catchment‐average erosion rates while soil depth and chemical weathering increase strongly with rainfall across our sites. Our analyses imply landscape‐scale equilibrium although the dominant means of denudation varies from physical weathering in dry climates to chemical weathering in wet climates. In the two wetter sites, chemical weathering is so significant that clay translocates both vertically in soil columns and horizontally down hillslope catenas, resulting in particle size variation and the accumulation of buried stone lines at the clay‐rich depth. We infer hundred‐thousand‐year residence times of these stone lines and suggest that bioturbation by termites plays a key role in exhuming sediment into the mobile soil layer from significant depths below the clay layer. Our results suggest how tradeoffs in physical and chemical weathering, potentially modulated by biological processes, shape slowly eroding, equilibrium landscapes. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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The origin and implications of variations in soil-related properties within Macrotermes falciger mounds

Cited by 42 publications

References 35 publications

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

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

Effects of Spreading Out Termite Mound Material on Ferralsol Fertility, Katanga, D.R. Congo

Quantifying erosional equilibrium across a slowly eroding, soil mantled landscape

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