Diversity of termite species at various altitudes in the secondary forest, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

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Forests are the natural habitat for termite breeding, where the diversity of its species is higher than other habitats. Therefore, it is imperative to be knowledgeable about the diversity of termites to assess the function of their colonies in environmental ecosystems. An introductory survey to measure the diversity of termite species in a tropical forest in Kapuas Hulu Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, was initiated from August – September 2020. This survey was carried out at various altitudes, namely 100 - 200, 201 - 300, and 301 - 400 masl. The termite sampling process was carried out on a 100 m path for each altitude. Observations were made in 8 plots, measuring 10 x 10 m. The termites were collected from the soil surface, leaf litters, mud trails, fallen logs, tree trunks, and roots, including termite nests. The chemical properties of the soil were analyzed to measure organic carbon, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. A total of 150 samples of termite were collected in the survey from 8 plots at an altitude of 100 – 200 masl (97 individuals), 5 plots at an altitude of 201 – 300 masl (43 individual) and 2 plots at an altitude of 301 - 400 masl (10 individuals). We found seven species of subterranean termites belonging to two families (Termitidae and Rhinotermitidae) and five sub-families (Macrotermitinae, Termitinae, Coptotermitinae, Nasutitermitinae, and Rhinotermitinae). Increasing altitude leads reduction in the number of species of individual termites. This reduced diversity of termite species in higher areas is due to decreased temperature because cold temperatures inhibit termite’s metabolic rate. Soil chemical analysis shows that C-Organic, N, P, K, and CEC contents in this study decreased with increasing altitude. In conclusion, we highlight that altitude is a limiting factor for the distribution of termite species. It is in direct proportion with the homogeneous distribution of termite species in secondary forests of Kapuas Hulu District, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, possibly due to a decrease in air temperature and soil mineral elements.