Mound Soil Research Articles

PERTUMBUHAN DAN HASIL KEDELAI EDAMAME (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) DENGAN APLIKASI PUPUK ORGANIK GUANO DI TANAH TUKUNGAN

Soybean is the third most consumed staple food after rice and corn. The need for soybeans continues to increase accompanied by an increase in population and the need for raw materials for the food processing industry such as tofu, tempeh, soy sauce, soy milk, etc. One type of soy that is harvested fresh is edamame soybeans. The number of farmers who grow edamame soybeans in South Kalimantan is still relatively few. This has the potential to be developed. However, the problem is that soybean productivity in South Kalimantan is still low. This is due to the low level of soil fertility, such as tukungan soil. Tukungan soil is a mound of soil in the middle of rice fields that farmers have deliberately made so that they can plant plants that do not like excess water. The use of guano organic fertilizer in edamame soybean cultivation can be a solution in overcoming soil fertility problems in tukungan soil. The purpose of this study was to determine the best dosage of guano organic fertilizer for the growth and yield of edamame soybeans in tukungan soil. The research was carried out from November 2019 to February 2020, at the Greenhouse of the Agroecotechnology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, Banjarbaru. This study used one factor completely randomized design. The factors studied were the dosage of guano organic fertilizer (K) which consisted of five levels, namely: k0 = 0 ton/ha, k1 = 10 ton/ha, k2 = 20 ton/ha, k3 = 30 ton/ha and k4 = 40 ton/ha. The results showed that the dose of 30 ton/ha of guano organic fertilizer was the best dose in increasing plant weight and pod weight of edamame soybean, respectively 41.93% and 67.62% compared to the control treatment.

Effect of plateau zokor on soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations of alpine meadows

Small subterranean mammals cause extensive disturbance of grasslands by producing many mounds in the grasslands. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a small subterranean mammal, plateau zokor (Myospalax fontanierii), on soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations in alpine meadows. In this study, the disturbance effect by plateau zokor on alpine meadow was classified into mound, edge vegetation zone and undisturbed vegetation areas, and a random stratified paired sampling design was used to collect soil samples at mound, edge vegetation zone and undisturbed vegetation area. The results of the present study found that the soil total carbon, organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations in undisturbed soil were higher than those in mound soil and lower than those in edge soil; the nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) concentration in edge soil was higher than that in undisturbed soil and lower than that in mound soil. However, the soil inorganic carbon and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentrations were site dependent. The results of the present study also found that ratios of soil organic carbon to soil total nitrogen (C: N) were lower in mound soil than in edge soil and undisturbed soil, and the ratios of NH4+-N to NO3−-N (ANR) were higher in mound soil than in edge soil and undisturbed soil across the three sites and at individual site, which imply that the lower C: N and higher ANR in mounds are a possible mechanism by which bare mound caused by small subterranean mammals can naturally recover. The findings of this study reveal the general patterns of soil total carbon, soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, NO3−-N, C: N, and ANR in relation to disturbance effects, and present a possible approach for estimating how the presence of a small subterranean mammals influences grassland soil carbon and soil nitrogen.

Mound plantation as an effective climate change adaptation and mitigation measure: Evaluation of the growth in the Chittagong coastal forest division of Bangladesh

Afforestation/reforestation can mitigate global climate change at low costs by reducing atmospheric carbon. The coastal plantations can act for both climate change mitigation and adaptation apart from protecting coastal people from sea-born calamities. In the global sea-level rise scenario, experimenting with the growth of the non-mangrove tree species in the coastal saline soil is a distinctive approach to observe the effects of salinity on the non-mangrove trees. The present study conducted such an experiment, species planted in the saline soil's mound in the Kattoli forest beat under the Chittagong coastal forest division for four non-mangrove tree species, i.e., Acacia auriculiformis, Casuarina equisetifolia, Samanea saman, and Terminalia arjuna. The study evaluated their growth performance and carbon sequestration potential by comparing them with the embankment plantation of the same tree species. The stem density was the highest, 2651 ± 174 per ha in the embankment, and the lowest, 1536 ± 101 per ha in the m15-16 mound plantation. Considering all the tree species, the highest biomass growth including aboveground and belowground, 195.44 ± 21.91 t ha−1, and the total biomass's net MAI, 21.46 ± 2.81 t ha−1yr−1, was in the embankment among the given sites. Accordingly, the embankment shows the highest sequestration of carbon in the biomass, including aboveground and belowground, 97.72 ± 10.96 tC ha−1, and the m15-16 site shows the lowest, 17.64 ± 2.90 tC ha−1. The highest salinity, 8.73 ± 1.30 mS/m, was in the m14-15 site and the lowest, 1.43 ± 0.41, was in the embankment. The study concludes that salinity ranging from 1.91 mS/m to 16.52 mS/m can support the selected trees to grow. It was evident that the non-mangrove tree species' growth was retarded by the ebb and tide and salinity of the soil. The study is expected to be helpful to climate change mitigation and adaptation practitioners in Bangladesh.

Some physiochemical properties of termite mound soil and its effect on yield and yield components of maize (Zea mays L.) Under Greenhouse condition at Nekemte, western Ethiopia

Termite mound soil amends soil fertility and utilized as an alternative to npk fertilizers by smallholder farmers in Africa. Experiment was conducted in western Ethiopia to compare selected physical and chemical properties of mound soil (ms), Adjacent soil (as) and non-mound soil (nms) and the effect of these soils on maize plant growth and yield in the Greenhouse. In Limu district, Fitbako kebele, cultivated land was purposively selected for sampling. In the cultivated land, a plot of 100m x100m was delineated and three mounds within the plot were also purposively selected to collect composite soil sample for soil analysis and Greenhouse pot experiment. From each mound, 10kg soil each from bottom, middle and top (total= 30 kg) were collected and mixed to obtain working sample of 10 kg. About 30kg of adjacent soil 5m away from mound soils and Non-mound soil at the distance of 20 m away from mound soil at the depth of 0-30cm were collected and thoroughly mixed to make working sample of 10kg from each soil type. Three kilograms of mound soil, adjacent soil and non-mound soil each was put in separate plastic bucket for greenhouse pot experiment. About 100 gm of each soil type was used for selected physical and chemical properties analyses. The result obtained demonstrated that termite mound soil was significantly (P<0.05) high in bulk density (bd), moisture contents (mc), porosity (P), Soil pH, percent organic carbon (% oc) and percent organic matter (% om). Total Nitrogen (tn), average (av.) P, av. K, Exch. Ca and Exch. Mg were also significantly (P<0.05) higher in mound soil in comparison with adjacent soil and non-mound soil. Maize plant growth traits and yield were significantly (P<0.05) high in mound soil. From the current study, it can be concluded that the use of npk fertilizer on plots having termite mound is not recommended. However, further research is needed on how to use mound soil on large plot of land

Use of termitarium soil as a viable source for biofertilizer and biocontrol

BackgroundEnvironmental deterioration arising from the misuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in agriculture has resulted in the pursuit of eco-friendly means of growing crop. Evidence has shown that biofertilizers and biocontrol can boost soil fertility and suppress soil pathogens without compromising the safety of the environment. Hence, the study investigated the use of termitarium soil as a viable source for biofertilizer and biocontrol.ResultsTwenty-seven soil samples were collected from nine different mound soil (household, farm and water bodies in a sterile sample bag). Aliquots of serially diluted samples were plated on nutrient agar, plate count agar, eosin methylene blue agar and MacConkey agar plates. Isolates were identified using standard microbiological techniques. Identified isolates were screened for plant growth-promoting properties using phosphate solubilization test, potassium solubilization test and indole acetic acid production test. Activities of the plant growth-promoting bacteria were carried out using antagonism by diffusible substance method and antagonistic activity of cell-free culture filtrate of bacterial isolates against Ralstonia solanacearum and Fusarium oxysporum. Two hundred bacterial isolates were recovered from the 27 soil samples. The most predominant isolate was Bacillus spp. Out of the 200 bacterial isolates, 57 were positive for phosphate solubilization test, potassium solubilization test and indole acetic acid production test. Out of the 57 isolates, six bacterial isolates had antagonistic activities against Fusarium oxysporum, while seven bacterial isolates antagonized Ralstonia solanacearum.ConclusionThe result showed that termite mound soil contains some useful bacteria that are capable of solubilizing phosphate and potassium and producing indole acetic acid which are the plant growth-promoting potentials and as well suppressing plant soil pathogen.

Termite Mound Soils for Sustainable Production of Bricks

Abstract The article presents the alternative use of termite mound soils (TMSs) as full replacement for clay soils in brick production. TMSs from two localities, Jawaj and Sene, in Ethiopia were investigated for bricks production. The TMSs samples contained high SiO2 and Al2O3. The TMSs bricks were fired at different temperatures from 500 to 1,000°C. The obtained mean compressive strengths (σ), 18 and 14 MPa, were observed for bricks made from TMSs from Jawaj and Sene, respectively, at the optimum firing temperature of 700°C. The σ of TMSs bricks decreased as the firing temperature increased above 700°C, while for conventional clay soil brick, the σ increased with temperature beyond 700°C. The water absorptions and saturation coefficients of fired TMSs bricks decreased with increased firing temperature. The TMSs bricks meet the standard specification of dimension tolerance only along the height. All the TMSs bricks made from the two localities were not efflorescent. TMSs from Jawaj and Sene sites can be used as a raw material to replace the long-used clay soils for bricks production as a construction material for houses construction in rural and urban areas.

Machine Learning Approaches for Prediction of the Compressive Strength of Alkali Activated Termite Mound Soil

Earth-based materials have shown promise in the development of ecofriendly and sustainable construction materials. However, their unconventional usage in the construction field makes the estimation of their properties difficult and inaccurate. Often, the determination of their properties is conducted based on a conventional materials procedure. Hence, there is inaccuracy in understanding the properties of the unconventional materials. To obtain more accurate properties, a support vector machine (SVM), artificial neural network (ANN) and linear regression (LR) were used to predict the compressive strength of the alkali-activated termite soil. In this study, factors such as activator concentration, Si/Al, initial curing temperature, water absorption, weight and curing regime were used as input parameters due to their significant effect in the compressive strength. The experimental results depict that SVM outperforms ANN and LR in terms of R2 score and root mean square error (RMSE).

Biopedturbation by Termites Affects Respiration Profiles of Microbial Communities from Termite Mound Soils

Biopedturbation by Termites Affects Respiration Profiles of Microbial Communities from Termite Mound Soils

Differential parasitism by four species of phorid flies when attacking three worker castes of the leaf-cutting ant Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858).

Certain species of parasitic flies belonging to the Phoridae are known to attack Atta spp. workers foraging along trails, near nest openings used by the ants to supply the colony with plant material, and in the areas where the ants are actively cutting plant material. However, there have been no previous studies of phorid parasitism of non-foraging worker ants, for example excavators and soldiers. Excavators can be found on the surface around specialized nest openings, carrying and dumping soil on characteristic mounds. Soldiers can be found on the trails protecting foragers or guarding the different types of nest openings. The current study was performed to investigate the differential parasitism rates of Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858) worker castes by four species of phorids. Ants of all castes on trails and at nest entrances were collect from 18 mature colonies in the field. A total of 21,254 ants were collected from trails and 14,649 collected from the mounds of loose soil near nest openings. The captured workers were maintained under controlled laboratory conditions to evaluate the rate of parasitism. Of the ants collected from trails, 1,112 (5.23%) were found to have been parasitized, of which 1,102 were foragers and only 10 were soldiers. Of the ants collected from the soil mounds near the nest openings, only 27 (0.18%) were found to have been parasitized, of those 25 were excavators and 2 were soldiers. When evaluating parasitism of ants on the trails, 46.2% were attacked by Apocephalus attophilus Borgmeier, 1928, 22.6% by Myrmosicarius grandicornis Borgmeier, 1928, 16.6% by Eibesfeldtphora erthali (Brown, 2001) and 14.6% by Apocephalus vicosae Disney, 2000. Only two species of phorid, M. grandicornis and E. erthali, were observed parasitizing excavators, whilst only E. erthali parasitized soldiers. This is the first time that Atta spp. excavators and soldiers have been shown to be parasitized by phorids. The low rates of parasitism and specificity of certain phorid species for excavators and soldiers is discussed in relation to the behavioral interactions of hosts and their parasitoids, as well as the relationship between host and parasitoid size.

Geoarchaeological signatures of anthropogenic soils in southeastern Uruguay: Approaches to formation processes and spatial–temporal variability

AbstractThis contribution focuses on the interpretation of earthen mound formation processes in the lowlands of the Pampa biome, southeastern Uruguay, through the integrated analysis of sedimentological and archaeological data. The three analyzed mounds from the La Tapera site have different heights and radiocarbon chronologies, indicating different construction periods across the last 4000 years. In addition, soils from surrounding plains were analyzed to provide a comparative basis for geoarchaeological characterization. From granulometric, compositional, and geochemical results, we identified different soil classes and several anthropogenic layers inside the earthen structures. Mound soils stood out from the rest due to higher levels of P, soil organic matter (SOM), and micro‐artifact content, leading to their classification as hortic Anthroportic Udorthent soils or hortic‐cultural cumulic archaeo‐anthrosols. Geoarchaeological differences between mounds are inferred as variations in the formation processes and/or construction technologies, possibly related to the functionality and height of the structures. Evidence from this contribution demonstrated the existence of ancient ways to produce nutrient‐rich long‐lasting anthropogenic soils that left persistent geoarchaeological signatures on the landscape. These findings highlight the need to broaden the discussion, culturally and geographically, about the genesis and development of management practices and associated indigenous knowledge to include the lowlands of southeastern South America.

The utilization of bentonite enhanced termite mound soil mixture as filter for the treatment of paint industrial effluent

This research investigates the applicability of bentonite enhanced termite mound soil mixture as an alternative filter medium for paint industrial wastewater (PIWW) management in a constructed pilot-scale filtration tank with four different sections. The mixture of bentonite (BC) and termite mound soil (MS) used as the filter was proportioned by percentage weight as (100% MS), {text{(5% BC}} + {text{95% MS),}}{text{(10% BC}} + {text{90% MS),}}{text{(15% BC}} + {text{85% MS)}} and placed into four sections, respectively. The filter materials were compacted, cured and subjected to wastewater loading for 30 weeks. The results obtained from the analysis of the filtrate samples revealed that filter with 15% BC content generally exhibited high and effective pollutant removal efficiencies of 51.3%, 98.9%, and 72.7% for total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, and copper, respectively, while a maximum removal efficiency of 100% was recorded for lead, chromium and cadmium. The pollutants (TDS, TSS, Pb, Cr, Cu and Cd) concentrations of the treated PIWW were below the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency permissible limits for discharge. Hence, the 15% bentonite and 85% termite mound soil mixtures are recommended for the small-scale paint industries as a point of use measure for effective pollutant removal. Its application would mitigate the degradation of environmental resources caused by indiscriminate disposal of untreated effluent.

Alkali activation of compacted termite mound soil for eco-friendly construction materials

This investigation prospects the feasibility of optimizing the mechanical behavior and dimensional stability of termite's mound soil through alkaline activation. The raw aluminosilicate (termites' soil) was used without any pre-thermal treatment and natural occurring potash was used as the alkaline activator. Different activation level and different initial curing temperature were adopted to examine the effect of the initial temperature and the activator concentration on the Alkali Activated Termite Soil (AATS). Similarly, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) were conducted to characterize the microstructure, to determine the crystallinity of the constituents and to identify the functional groups present within the specimens. These characterizations were carried out on the specimens at 15 days after their moulding. The compressive strength was determined for 7, 15 and 90 days to illuminate the fundamental of the optimization process. Results showed that the optimal initial curing temperature was 60°C for the oven-dry regime at 3wt% activator with compressive strength of 2.56, 4.38 and 7.79 MPa at 7, 15 and 90 days respectively. From the mechanical performances results, the alkali stabilized termite's soil can be used as masonry elements predominantly submitted to compression. The repercussions of the results are analyzed for potential applications of the Alkaline Activation techniques as an environmental-friendly approach to obtain renewable and sustainable building materials at low cost with low energy consumption henceforth replicable in most of the regions.

Chinese zokor (Myospalax fontanierii) excavating activities lessen runoff but facilitate soil erosion – A simulation experiment

The Chinese zokor (Myospalax fontanierii) affects the physical and chemical properties of soil and the evolution of vegetation. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of zokors on soil erosion. In this study, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was planted in tanks to quantify the effects of zokor excavation activities on runoff and soil erosion rate. Three slope gradients of 5°, 10°, and 15° were set, two soil tanks (with and without a zokor) were used for each gradient, and six soil tanks were prepared in total. Laboratory simulated rainfall was applied using a side-spray simulation system, and the rainfall intensity was set to 80 mm h−1 with the rainfall duration of 60 min after runoff generation. Results showed that the soil bulk density of fresh zokor mounds was 0.82 ± 0.02 g cm−3, which was 39% lower than that of the soil matrix (1.35 g cm−3). The vegetation coverage decreased to 32%, 45%, and 43% respectively, after 3 days of disturbance by zokor, compared with 87%, 90%, and 92% in the tanks without zokor. The presence of zokor reduced the runoff rate by 88% on the lowest gradient to 21% on the steepest gradient, and increased the water infiltration and soil water storage within 90 cm depth. The soil mounds and herbivorous tunnel changed the microtopography and consequently the runoff pathway, increased the sediment yield, and intensified soil erosion, especially at a steep slope gradient. Although the activity of zokors does not directly increase soil erosion, and the tunnel system can facilitate water infiltration and lessen runoff, the mounds they create provide loose and erodible materials. The destruction of vegetation by zokors would facilitate soil erosion and reduce the benefit of vegetation restoration. This study provides insights into the effects of subterranean rodents on soil erosion in the Loess Plateau.

Development of Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Materials from Termite Hill Soil Stabilized with Cement for Low-Cost Housing in Chad

This paper explores the effects of cement stabilization (5, 10, 15 and 20 wt%) on the structural and mechanical properties (compressive/flexural strengths and fracture toughness) of abandoned termite mound soil. The crystal structures and crystallinity of the constituents were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), while the microstructure was characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The functional groups were also identified using Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). The compressive/flexural strengths of the stabilized and un-stabilized termite mound soil were also studied after curing for 7, 14 and 28 days. The fracture toughness mechanism was analyzed with the aid of the R-curve method. Additionally, the underlying deformation and cracking mechanisms are elucidated via in-situ/ex-situ optical and scanning electron microscopy. The stabilized termite mound soil displayed the highest mechanical properties of 13.91 MPa, 10.25 MPa and 3.52 kPa·m1/2 for compressive strength, flexural strength and fracture toughness, respectively. Besides displaying good mechanical properties and being locally available at no cost, renewable and an eco-friendly material, the termite mound soil will contribute to lowering the cost of housing in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Chad.

Sediment generation and soil mound denudation in areas of high-density tree throw along a river valley in the Jura Mountains, Switzerland

A preliminary field-based investigation was undertaken in a small (< 10 km2) river valley located in the mountainous Jura region of northwest Switzerland. The aims of the work were to assess sediment generation and annual sediment transport rates by tree throw on forested hillslopes, and to document surface hydrology characteristics on four fresh soil mounds associated with recent tree throws over a 24-day monitoring period. For the soil mounds, average sediment recovery ranged from 7.7–28.2 g (dry weight), equivalent to a suspended sediment concentration of 145.2–327.8 g L−1, and runoff coefficients ranged from 1.0%–4.2%. Based on a soil bulk density value of 1,044 kg m−3, upslope runoff generation areas were denuded by an average 0.14 mm by the end of the 24-day monitoring period, representing an erosion rate equivalent to 2.1 mm yr−1. A ca. 50 cm high soil mound could therefore feasibly persist for around 200–250 years. For tree throw work, the dimensions of 215 individual tree throws were measured and their locations mapped in 12 separate locations along the river valley representing a cumulative area equivalent to 5.3 ha (av. density, 43 per ha). Tree throws generated a total of 20.1 m3 of fine-sediment (< 2 mm diameter), or the equivalent of 3.8 × 10−4 m3 m−2. The process of tree throw was originally attributed to two extreme weather events that occurred in west and central Europe in late December 1999. Taking the 18-year period since both storms, this represents an annual sediment transport rate of 2.7 × 10−5 m3 m−1 yr−1. Exploring the relationship with wind on fall direction, 65.5% of tree throws (143) generally fell in a downslope direction irrespective of hillslope aspect on which they were located. This infers that individual storms may not have been responsible for the majority of tree throws, but instead, could be associated with root failure. Given the high density of tree throws and their relative maturity (average age 41 years), we hypothesise that once trees attain a certain age in this river valley, their physiognomy (i.e. height, mass and centre of gravity) compromises their ability to remain securely anchored. We tentatively attribute this possibility to the presence of bedrock close to the surface, and to the shallow soil profile overlaying steep hillslopes.

Fauna associated with the nests of Crocodylus moreletii and Crocodylus moreletii × acutus in Belize

ABSTRACT Morelet’s crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) and hybrid crocodiles (C. moreletii × acutus) are mound-nesting crocodilians found in the lowlands of northern and southern Belize, respectively. Nests of both crocodilians consist of large mounds of soil, vegetation, leaf litter, and in some cases sand. We here report on the fauna associated with nest mounds of C. moreletii and C. moreletii × acutus, and describe the associations between crocodiles and commensal fauna. Our data were collected during various ecological studies conducted from 1992 through 2000, and we examined 138 active (containing eggs) nests of C. moreletii and 11 active nests of C. moreletii × acutus. We noted the occurrence of at least 14 species of fauna associated with 45 (32.6%) C. moreletii and three (27.2%) C. moreletii × acutus nests. Nest-associated fauna included ants, bees, termites, turtles, squamates, birds, and mammals. Associations included five species dwelling within crocodile nest mounds, four species that deposited eggs in crocodile nest mounds, and five species nesting in close proximity to crocodile nests. Nest-associated fauna presumably benefit from the protection afforded by nest attendance and aggressive defence behaviour of female crocodiles, although these benefits have yet to be empirically established.

Особливості фітогенного рельєфоутворення в заплаві річки Остер

During 2015-2020, we conducted field studies of phytogenic relief in the Oster river floodplain. In the process, the method of field route observations, polls, photography, morphological and mophometric analyses were actively used. Mathematical methods and computer technologies were used to process and summarize the obtained data. Based on the processing of literary and cartographic sources, Internet sources and field research data, it is established that the natural conditions and vegetation features of the Oster river floodplain are favourable for the emergence of numerous relief forms of phytogenic origin. During field and in-house research we studied the causes and identified the peculiarities of appearance of the most common here accumulative and denudation phytogenic landforms. In particular, we analyzed tussocks and their clusters on the surface of swamps and wetlands; humps formed by large trees with roots blown over by the wind (“earth walls”) and microchains formed by tree trunks, trunk humps and trunk depressions; soil mounds, holes formed by large trees with roots blown over by the wind as well as passages of roots and rhizomes. It is found that the accumulative relief forms of phytogenic origin in the floodplain of the Oster river significantly outnumber the denudation ones. In addition, in the Oster floodplain, as in most forests of Chernihiv region, the number of “earth walls” and holes formed by large trees with roots blown over by the wind significantly exceeds the number of chains. This is due to the fact that after strong winds the trunks of fallen trees in most cases are sawn and removed but the fallen root part remains. It is established that the term of existence of phytogenic forms of relief varies from several hundreds or tens of years to several years. Their highest density is observed within swamps, wetlands, forests and meadows. By size, phytogenic landforms mostly have the rank of nanorelief. Microforms of phytogenic relief are much less common. It is found that the phytogenic landforms of the investigated area undergo a significant transformation due to fires. Numerous depressions (“burns”) appear within the drained swamps and wetlands under the action of flames.

Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata incubation mounds as habitat for other vertebrates

Ecosystem engineers change the availability of resources for other species by forming new habitat or modifying existing habitat but, despite the diversity of avian ecosystem engineers, 80% of current literature focuses on mammals and invertebrates. Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata build large incubation mounds of soil and leaf-litter that are likely to provide habitat for invertebrates and vertebrates but use of their mounds by other vertebrates has never been quantified. Here, we examine vertebrate fauna visitation rates at Malleefowl mounds and non-mounds using camera-trap data collected by two citizen science projects. From 2012 to 2018, 20 active Malleefowl mounds and 16 non-mound sites were monitored over 31,913 hours and 225,144 hours, respectively. In total, we identified visits by 1724 birds, reptiles and mammals from 36 species. The mean number of vertebrate visits per 1000 hours of surveillance was around one and a half times and species richness five times that at mounds compared with non-mounds. Malleefowl mounds may enhance the availability of invertebrate prey for insectivorous birds and mammals, provide a favourable microclimate for reptiles to thermoregulate, and be signalling/social communication locations. Our results show that further research is warranted and suggest that conservation of Malleefowl may be important not only for the Malleefowl itself, but also for a suite of mallee birds and reptiles.

Physical properties of termite mound soil in para rubber plantation of southern border provinces

Most farming areas in southern part of Thailand are predominated by the para rubber plantation and termite mound are generally found in almost plantation area. Termites have peculiar activities in the soil and also lead to the significant changes in the soil properties. The objective of this research was to study the physical properties of termite mound soils in para rubber plantations. The soil in the area of southern border provinces i.e. Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwas was investigated. The collected samples were divided into top, center, and base. Additionally, the soil samples were collected at the distance of 5 meters away from the mound base. It was found that the termite mound soil was comprised of silty and clay soils with high moisture and density. Most of the soil particles were sandy soil and had good water absorption coefficient. The termite mound soils were weakly acidic and by this reason the electrical conductivity was at a level that does not affect the growth and production of plants. For agriculture improvement, termite mound soils can be mixed with other soils to retain moisture, absorb water and nutrients.

Crab bioturbation significantly alters sediment microbial composition and function in an intertidal marsh

Crabs are among the most important benthos in intertidal marshes. Numerous studies have shown that they can influence soil properties and soil-surface water exchange through bioturbation. However, little is still known about the effects of crab burrows on sediment microbes. In this study, we examined the effects of crab burrows on the community structure and interaction pattern of soil microbes in sediments in an intertidal marsh of the Yellow River Delta, north China using high-throughput sequencing and co-occurrence network analyses. Results showed that crab bioturbations altered soil microbial community composition both within the fungal and bacterial communities. Network analyses results indicated that the modularity of fungal networks decreased after crab bioturbation. Further, bacterial and fungal functional predictions indicated the relative abundances were significantly lower for fungal saprotrophs and saprotroph-pathotrophs in the soil mound sediment, while significantly higher for bacterial chemoheterotrophs and aerobic chemoheterotrophic in the burrow wall sediment. Our results demonstrate that crab bioturbation can modify the microbial community structure and function, and thus nutrient cycling through degradation of organic matter, a key ecosystem processes in intertidal marsh.