Abstract
Competition is a fundamental process in ecology and helps to determine dominance hierarchies. Competition and dominance hierarchies have been little investigated in wood-eating termites, despite the necessary traits of similar resources, and showing spatial and temporal overlap. Competition and dominance between five species of wood-eating termites found in Huangzhou, China, was investigated in three laboratory experiments of aggression and detection, plus a year-long field survey of termite foraging activity. Dominance depended on body size, with largest species winning overwhelmingly in paired contests with equal numbers of individuals, although the advantage was reduced in paired competitions with equal biomass. The termites could detect different species from used filter papers, as larger species searched through paper used by smaller species, and smaller species avoided papers used by larger species. The largest species maintained activity all year, but in low abundance, whereas the second largest species increased activity in summer, and the smallest species increased their activity in winter. The termite species displayed a dominance hierarchy based on fighting ability, with a temporal change in foraging to avoid larger, more dominant species. The low abundance of the largest species, here Macrotermes barneyi, may be a function of human disturbance, which allows subordinate species to increase. Thus, competitive release may explain the increase in abundance of pest species, such as Coptotermes formosanus, in highly modified areas, such as urban systems.
Highlights
A fundamental process in ecology is competition for resources between organisms with similar requirements [1,2,3]
Competitive release may explain the increase in abundance of pest species, such as Coptotermes formosanus, in highly modified areas, such as urban systems
The subordinate species may specialise on less preferred food or access food in different locations or at different times than the dominant species [8,9,10,11]
Summary
A fundamental process in ecology is competition for resources between organisms with similar requirements [1,2,3]. Direct competition for food leads to dominance hierarchies, with the species able to use superior strength to dominate the most preferred food resource (e.g., for the classic experiments using granivorous insects in stored products, see [4,5,6,7]). The subordinate species may specialise on less preferred food or access food in different locations or at different times than the dominant species [8,9,10,11]. Wood-eating termites offer an excellent system to consider competition and dominance hierarchies because the conditions for competition are present. Many species are found in the same habitat, or even in the same piece of wood [12], from the tropics to the warm temperate latitudes Many species are found in the same habitat, or even in the same piece of wood [12], from the tropics to the warm temperate latitudes (ca. 35◦ ) [13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
