Abstract
Termites are ecosystem engineers in tropical systems, constructing visible biogenic structures (mounds) that influence soil characteristics, decomposition, nutrient cycling, vegetative growth, and biodiversity. Subterranean termites (Reticulitermes spp.) likely influence nutrient cycling within their endemic range in the temperate Holarctic through the translocation of elements from wood to soil by lining their below-ground biogenic structures with frass (feces). We designed a study to ‘follow the frass’ by comparing concentrations of 18 elements (Al, B, Ba, C, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, N, Na, P, Si, Sr, and Zn) in substrates—food before and after digestion (wood and frass), as well as soil with and without direct termite manipulation (shelter tubes and soil core samples)—associated with 18 subterranean termite colonies. Fourteen elements were more concentrated in frass than wood, and only Cr and Fe were lower in frass. The shelter tube-to-soil contrasts indicate that termites decrease levels of Al, Ba, Co, and Cr while increasing C and Ca in soil. Therefore, Reticulitermes likely modulate element flows by returning organic C and base cations to weathered, acidic Ultisols of southeastern US forests. Research on the ecological role of subterranean termites outside of the built environment is showing the scale of impact these cryptic superorganism ecosystem engineers can have on temperate forest functions.
Highlights
Soil-dwelling social insects are recognized as ecosystem engineers and represent a substantial portion of the biomass involved in the chemical and physical modification of soil (Lobry de Bruyn and Conacher 1990; Jones and others 1994; Lavelle and others 2006; Jimenez and others 2008; Jouquet and others 2011)
Subterranean termites play a notable role in forests of the southeastern USA by digesting cellulosic material, excreting nutrients previously locked in recalcitrant coarse woody debris (CWD; fallen, dead trees and branches 2.5–20 cm diameter) and contributing to long-term soil nutrient cycling (Hanula 1996; Ulyshen and others 2014; Chen and Forschler 2016)
The following elemental contrasts were not conducted because more than 15% of the values were Below the Detection Limit (BD) (1 mg/kg): Co and Na for wood-to-frass, B for shelter tubes-tosoil, and Cd, Mo, Ni, and Pb in both contrasts (Appendix C1, S1)
Summary
Soil-dwelling social insects are recognized as ecosystem engineers and represent a substantial portion of the biomass involved in the chemical and physical modification of soil (Lobry de Bruyn and Conacher 1990; Jones and others 1994; Lavelle and others 2006; Jimenez and others 2008; Jouquet and others 2011). Reticulitermes has a widespread Holarctic distribution with isolated invasive populations that are best known as pests of the human-built environment (Evans and others 2013; Bourguignon and others 2016). This genus of wood-feeding termites is, generally accepted to exert a major influence on ecosystem services due to their global distribution and abundance within temperate forests of the northern hemisphere (Marini and Ferrari 1998; Tsunoda and others 1999; King and others 2013; Neupane and others 2015; Ulyshen and others 2017). CWD can be considered a temporary nutrient sink, these materials serve as a major long-term source of both energy and nutrients (McFee and Stone 1966; Triska and Cromack Jr 1980; Harmon and others 1986; Creed and others 2004; Woodall and others 2013)
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