Termite-induced heterogeneity in African savanna vegetation: Mechanisms and patterns

Journal of Vegetation Science

Volumn 21, Issue 5, 2010, Pages 923-937

  Sileshi, Gudeta W ^a   Arshad, M A ^b   Konaté, Souleymane ^c   Nkunika, Philip O Y ^d  

^a CHITEDZE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH STATION   (Malawi)

^b UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA   (Canada)

^c UNIVERSITÉ NANGUI ABROGOUA   (Côte d’Ivoire)

^d UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA   (Zambia)

Author keywords

Banded vegetation; Bush encroachment; Desertification; Fertility islands; Fire; Herbivory; Spotted vegetation

Indexed keywords

BUSHLAND; DESERTIFICATION; ECOLOGICAL MODELING; FLORISTICS; FORAGING BEHAVIOR; HERBIVORE; HERBIVORY; HETEROGENEITY; LITERATURE REVIEW; MAMMAL; META-ANALYSIS; NUTRIENT CYCLING; NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT; SAVANNA; TERMITE; VEGETATION DYNAMICS;

AFRICA;

ANCISTROTERMES; CUBITERMES; ISOPTERA; MACROTERMES; MACROTERMITINAE; MAMMALIA; NASUTITERMITINAE; ODONTOTERMES; TERMITINAE; TRINERVITERMES;

EID: 77956308928     PISSN: 11009233     EISSN: 16541103     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1654-1103.2010.01197.x     Document Type: Article

References (95)

1. Aanen, D.K. Eggleton, P. 2005. Fungus-growing termites originated in African rain forest. Current Biology 15 : 851 855.
2. Abbadie, L., Lepage, M. Le Roux, X. 1992. Soil fauna at the forest-savanna boundary: role of the termite mounds in nutrient cycling. In : Proctor, P. (ed.) Nature and dynamics of forest-savanna boundaries. pp. 473 484. Chapman & Hall, London, UK.
3. Arshad, M.A. 1982. Influence of the termite Macrotermes michaelseni (Sjöst) on soil fertility and vegetation in a semi-arid savanna ecosystem. Agro-Ecosystems 8 : 47 58.
4. Bagine, R.K.N. 1984. Soil translocation by termites of the genus Odontotermes (Holmgren) (Isoptera: Macrotermitinae) in an arid area of Northern Kenya. Oecologia 64 : 265 266.
5. Barot, S. Gignoux, J. 2003. Neighbourhood analysis in the savanna palm Borassus aethiopum: interplay of intraspecific competition and soil patchiness. Journal of Vegetation Science 14 : 79 88.
6. Barot, S., Gignoux, J. Menaut, J.-C. 1999. Demography of a savanna palm tree: predictions from comprehensive spatial pattern analyses. Ecology 80 : 1987 2005.
7. Becker, T. 2007. The phenomenon of fairy circles in Kaokoland (NW Namibia). Basic and Applied Dryland Research 1 : 121 137.
8. Belsky, A.J. 1983. Small-scale pattern in grassland communities in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Vegetatio 55 : 141 151.
9. Benzie, J.A.H. 1986. The distribution, abundance, and the effects of fire on mound-building termites (Trinervitermes and Cubitermes spp., Isoptera: Termitidae) in northern Guinea savanna, West Africa. Oecologia 70 : 559 567.
10. Bloesch, U. 2008. Thicket clumps: a characteristic feature of the Kagera savanna landscape, East Africa. Journal of Vegetation Science 19 : 31 44.
11. Boughey, A.S. 1963. Interaction between animals, vegetation, and fire in southern Rhodesia. The Ohio Journal of Science 63 : 194 209.
12. Brody, A.K., Palmer, T.M., Fox-Dobbs, K. Doak, D.F. 2010. Termites, vertebrate herbivores, and the fruiting success of Acacia drepanolobium. Ecology 91 : 399 407.
13. Brossard, M., López-Hernández, D., Lepage, M. Leprun, J.-C. 2007. Nutrient storage in soils and nests of mound-building Trinervitermes termites in Central Burkina Faso: consequences for soil fertility. Biology and Fertility of Soils 43 : 437 447.
14. Brouwer, J., Geiger, S.C. Vandenbeldt, R.J. 1992. Variability in the growth of Faidherbia albida: a termite connection? In : Vandenbeldt, R.J. (ed.) Faidherbia albida in West African semi-arid tropics. pp. 131 135. ICRISAT, Patancheru, A.P., IN.
15. Bürger, A.-M. 2001. A study - using WORLDMAP - of distribution of African savanna plants. Systematic Geography 71 : 301 312.
16. Buxton, R.D. 1981. Termites and the turnover of dead wood in an arid tropical environment. Oecologia 51 : 379 384.
17. Campbell, B.M., Swift, M.J., Hatton, J. Frost, P.G.H. 1988. Small-scale vegetation pattern and nutrient cycling in Miombo woodland. In : Verboeven, J.T.A., Heil, G.W. Werger, M.J.A. (eds.) Vegetation structure in relation to carbon and nutrient economy. pp. 69 85. Academic Publishing, The Hague, NL.
18. Coaton, W.G.H. 1962. The origin and development of massive vegetated termite hills in Northern Rhodesia. African Wildlife 16 : 159 166.
19. Coghlan, A. 2006. More crops for Africa as trees reclaim desert. New Scientist 192 : 11.
20. Cole, M.M. 1963. Vegetation and geomorphology in northern Rhodesia: an aspect of the distribution of the savanna of Central Africa. The Geographical Journal 129 : 290 305.
21. Collins, N.M. 1981. The role of termites in the decomposition of wood and leaf litter in the Southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. Oecologia 51 : 389 399.
22. Cox, G.W. Gakahu, C.G. 1985. Mima mound microtopography and vegetation pattern in Kenyan savannas. Journal of Tropical Ecology 1 : 23 36.
23. Cromsigt, J.P.G.M. Olff, H. 2008. Dynamics of grazing lawn formation: an experimental test of the role of scale-dependent processes. Oikos 117 : 1444 1452.
24. Crossley, R. (1986). Sedimentation by termites in the Malawi rift valley. Geological Society (London) 25 : 191 199.
25. Darlington, J.P.E.C. 2007. Arena nests built by termites in the Masai Mara, Kenya. Journal of East African Natural History 96 : 73 81.
26. De Knegt, H.J., Groen, T.A., Van de Vijver, C.A.D.M., Prins, H.H.T. Van Langevelde, F. 2008. Herbivores as architects of savannas: inducing and modifying spatial vegetation patterning. Oikos 117 : 543 554.
27. Dossou-Yovo, H.O., Assogbadjo, A.E., Kindomihou, V. Sinsin, B. 2009. How do termitaria contribute to plant species conservation in Pendjari Biosphere Reserve in Benin? In: Book of Abstracts of the 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya.
28. Du Toit, J.T., Rogers, K.H. Biggs, H.C. (eds.) 2003. The Kruger experience: ecology and management of savanna heterogeneity. pp. 519. Island Press, Washington, DC, US.
29. Eldridge, D.J., Lepage, M., Bryannah, M.A. Ouedraogo, P. 2001. Soil biota in banded landscapes. In : Tongway, D.J., Valentin, C. Sergieri, J. (eds.) Banded vegetation patterning in arid and semi-arid environments: ecological processes and consequences for management. pp. 105 131. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY, US.
30. Fox-Dobbs, K., Doak, D.F., Brody, A.K. Palmer, T.M. 2010. Termites create spatial structure and govern ecosystem function in an East African savanna. Ecology 91 : 1296 1307.
31. Freymann, B.P., Buitenwerf, R. DeSouza, O. 2008. The importance of termites (Isoptera) for the recycling of herbivore dung in tropical ecosystems: a review. European Journal of Entomology 10 : 165 173.
32. Glover, P.E., Trump, E.C. Wateridge, L.E.D. 1964. Termitaria and vegetative patterns on the Loita Plains of Kenya. Journal of Ecology 52 : 367 377.
33. Gould, M.S., Lowe, A.J. Clarke, G.P. 1993. The frequency of termite (Isoptera) damage to tree species in Namakutwa forest, Tanzania. Sociobiology 23 : 189 198.
34. Groen, T.A., van Langevelde, F., van de Vijver, C.A.D.M., Govender, N. Prins, H.T. 2008. Soil clay content and fire frequency affect clustering in trees in South African savannas. Journal of Tropical Ecology 24 : 269 279.
35. Harris, D., Fry, G.J. Miller, S.T. 1994. Micro-topography and agriculture in semi-arid Botswana. 2. Moisture availability, fertility and crop performance. Agricultural Water Management 26 : 133 148.
36. Hedges, L.V., Gurevitch, J. Curtis, P.S. 1999. The meta-analysis of response ratios in experimental ecology. Ecology 80 : 1150 1156.
37. Hewitt, P.H., van der Westhuizen, M.C., de, K., van der Linde, T.C. Mitchell, J. 1990. The dry matter, energy and nitrogen budget of the harvester termite Hodotermes mossambicus (Hagen). South African Journal of Science 86 : 30 34.
38. 14C-labeled humic model compounds by soil-feeding termites. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 32 : 1281 1291.
39. Jones, J.A. 1990. Termites, soil fertility and carbon cycling in dry tropical Africa: a hypothesis. Journal of Tropical Ecology 6 : 291 305.
40. Jouquet, P., Boulain, N., Gignoux, J. Lepage, M. 2004. Association between subterranean termites and grasses in a West African savanna: spatial pattern analysis shows a significant role for Odontotermes n. pauperans. Applied Soil Ecology 27 : 99 107.
41. Jouquet, P., Tavernier, V., Abbadie, L. Lepage, M. 2005. Nests of subterranean fungus-growing termites (Isoptera, Macrotermitinae) as nutrient patches for grasses in savanna ecosystems. African Journal of Ecology 43 : 191 196.
42. Kambhampati, S. Eggleton, P. 2000. Phylogenetics and taxonomy. In : Abe, T., Bignell, D.E. Higashi, M. (eds.) Termites: evolution, sociality, symbiosis, ecology. pp. 1 23. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, NL.
43. Kirmse, R.D. Noton, B.E. 1984. The potentials of Acacia albida for desertification control and increased productivity in Chad. Biological Conservation 29 : 121 141.
44. Konaté, S., Merdaci, K., Lepage, M., Le Roux, X. Tessier, D. 1998. Effect of termitaria on spatio-temporal variations of soil water in a tropical savanna. 16th World Congress of Soil Science, Monptellier, FR. Enregistrement Scientifique No. 1229, Symposium No. 18
45. Konaté, S., Le Roux, X., Tessier, D. Lepage, M. 1999. Influence of large termitaria on soil characteristics, soil water regime, and tree leaf shedding pattern in a West African savanna. Plant and Soil 206 : 47 60.
46. Léonard, J. Rajot, J.L. 2001. Influence of termites on runoff and infiltration: quantification and analysis. Geoderma 104 : 17 40.
47. Lepage, M., Abbadie, L. Mariotti, A. 1993. Food habits of sympatric termite species (Isoptera, Macrotermitinae) as determined by stable carbon isotope analysis in a Guinean savanna (Lamto, Cote d'Ivoire). Journal of Tropical Ecology 9 : 303 311.
48. Lepage, M.G. 1981. L'impacte des populations récoltantes de Macrotermes michaelseni (Sjostedt) (Isoptera: Macrotermitinae) dans un écosystème semiaride (Kajiado, Kenya). II. Nourriture récoltée, comparaison avec les grands herbivores. Insectes Sociaux 28 : 309 319.
49. Lilburn, T.G., Kim, K.S., Ostrom, N.E., Byzek, K.R., Leadbetter, J.R. Breznak, J.A. 2001. Nitrogen fixation by symbiotic and free-living spirochetes. Science 292 : 2495 2498.
50. Loveridge, J.P. Moe, S.R. 2004. Termitaria as browsing hotspots for African megaherbivores in miombo woodland. Journal of Tropical Ecology 20 : 337 343.
51. Macfadyen, W.A. 1950. Vegetation patterns in the semi-desert plains of British Somaliland. Geographical Journal 116 : 199 210.
52. Mando, A., Brussard, L. Stroosnijder, L. 1999. Termite- and mulch-mediated rehabilitation of vegetation on crusted soil in West Africa. Restoration Ecology 7 : 33 41.
53. Masanori, T. Tooru, A. 2004. Soil nutrient loss caused by intensive land use and the retention of nutrients inside termite mounds in Niger, Africa. Japanese Journal of Ecology 54 : 117 124.
54. Masocha, M., Skidmore, A.K., Prins, H.H.T., Holmgren, M. de Leeuw, J. 2008. Do termites enhance the invasion of southern African savannas by alien plants? Proceedings of the 6th Annual Science Networking Meeting, Skukuza, SA, 21-25 April, 2008.
55. McCarthy, T.S., Ellery, W.N. Dangerfield, J.M. 1998. The role of biota in the initiation and growth of islands on the floodplain of the Okovango alluvial fan, Botswana. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 23 : 291 316.
56. McFarlane, M.J. Darlington, J.P.E.C. 1989. An example of termite mounds as indicators of hydrological and soil conditions in Malawi and Zimbabwe. Sociobiology 15 : 271 272.
57. Midgley, G.F. Musil, C.F. 1990. Substrate effects of zoogenic soil mounds on vegetation composition in the Worcester-Robertson valley, Cape Province. South African Journal of Botany 56 : 158 166.
58. Mitchell, J.D. 2002. Termites as pests of crops, forestry, rangeland and structures in southern Africa and their control. Sociobiology 40 : 47 69.
59. Mobæk, R., Narmo, A.K. Moe, S.R. 2005. Termitaria are focal feeding sites for large ungulates in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda. Journal of Zoology 267 : 97 102.
60. Moe, S.R., Mobæk, R. Narmo, A.K. 2009. Mound building termites contribute to savanna vegetation heterogeneity. Plant Ecology 202 : 31 40.
61. Mora, P., Seuge, C., Chotte, J.L. Rouland, C. 2003. Physico-chemical typology of the biogenic structures of termites and earthworms: a comparative analysis. Biology and Fertility of Soils 37 : 245 249.
62. Mourik, A.A., van Langevelde, F., van Tellingen, E., Heitkönig, I.M.A. Gaigher, I. 2007. Stability of wooded patches in a South African nutrient-poor grassland: do nutrients, fire or herbivores limit their expansion? Journal of Tropical Ecology 23 : 529 537.
63. Ndiaye, D., Lepage, M., Sall, C. Brauman, A. 2004. Nitrogen transformations associated with termite biogenic structures in a dry savanna ecosystem. Plant and Soil 265 : 189 196.
64. Ohiagu, C.E. Wood, T.G. 1979. Grass production and decomposition in Southern Guinea savanna, Nigeria. Oecologia 40 : 155 165.
65. Okali, D.U.U., Hall, J.B. Lawson, G.W. 1973. Root distribution under a thicket clump on the Acra plains, Ghana. Its relevance to clump localization and water relations. Journal of Ecology 61 : 439 454.
66. Palmer, T.M. 2003. Spatial habitat heterogeneity influences competition and coexistence in an African acacia ant guild. Ecology 84 : 2843 2855.
67. Picker, M.D., Hoffman, M.T. Leverton, B. 2006. Density of Microhodotermes viator (Hodotermitidae) mounds in southern Africa in relation to rainfall and vegetative productivity gradients. Journal of Zoology 271 : 37 44.
68. Pomeroy, D.E., Bagine, R.K. Darlington, J.P.E.C. 1991. Fungus-growing termites in East African Savannas. In : Kayanja, F.I.B. Edroma, E.L. (eds.) African wild research and management. pp. 41 50. International Council of Scientific Unions, Kampala, UG.
69. 14C study of biogenic calcrete in a termite mound, Western Cape, South Africa, and its palaeoenvironmental significance. Quaternary Research 72 : 258 264.
70. Sall, S., Brauman, A., Fall, S., Rouland, C., Miambi, E. Chotte, J.L. 2002. Variation in the distribution of monosaccharides in soil fractions in the mound of termites with different feeding habits (Senegal). Biology and Fertility of Soils 36 : 232 239.
71. Sands, W.A. 1965. Termite distribution in modified habitats in West Africa, with special reference to species segregation in the genus Trinervitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae). Journal of Animal Ecology 34 : 557 571.
72. Sankaran, M., Ratnam, J. Hanan, N. 2008. Woody cover in African savannas: the role of resources, fire and herbivory. Global Ecology and Biogeography 17 : 236 245.
73. Sattaur, O. 1991. Termites change the face of Africa. New Scientist 1753.
74. Schaefer, D.A. Whitford, W.G. 1981. Nutrient cycling by the subterranean termite Gnathamitermes tubiformans in a Chihuahuan desert ecosystem. Oecologia 48 : 277 283.
75. Sileshi, G. Mafongoya, P.L. 2006. The short-term impact of forest fire on soil invertebrates in the miombo. Biodiversity and Conservation 15 : 3153 3160.
76. Smith, F.R. Yeaton, R.I. 1998. Disturbance by the mound-building termite, Trinervitermes trinervoides, and vegetation patch dynamics in a semi-arid, southern African grassland. Plant Ecology 137 : 41 53.
77. Steinke, T.D. Nell, L.O. 1989. Some effects of termitaria on veld in the eastern Cape. Tydskrif Weidingsveren 6 : 152 155.
78. Traoré, S., Nygard, M., Guinko, S. Lepage, M.G. 2008a. Impact of Macrotermes termitaria as a source of heterogeneity on tree diversity and structure in a Sudanian savanna under controlled grazing and annual prescribed fire (Burkina Faso). Forest Ecology and Management 225 : 2337 2346.
79. Traoré, S., Tigabu, M., Ouédraogo, S.G., Boussim, J.I., Guinko, S. Lepage, M.G. 2008b. Macrotermes mounds as sites for tree regeneration in a Sudanian woodland (Burkina Faso). Plant Ecology 198 : 285 295.
80. Trapnell, C.G., Friend, M.T., Chamberlain, G.T. Birch, H.F. 1976. The effect of fire and termites on a Zambian woodland soil. Journal of Ecology 64 : 577 588.
81. Treydte, A.C., Looringh van Beeck, F.A., Ludwig, F. Heitkönig, I.M.A. 2008. Improved quality of beneath-canopy grass in South African savannas: local and seasonal variation. Journal of Vegetation Science 19 : 6636 6670.
82. Turner, J.S. 2006. Termites as mediators of the water economy of arid savanna ecosystems. In : D'Odorico, P. Porporato, A. (eds.) Dryland ecohydrology. pp. 303 313. Springer, Dordrecht, NL.
83. Turner, J.S., Marais, E., Vinte, M., Mudengi, A. Park, W L. 2006. Termites, water and soils. Agricola 16 : 40 45.
84. Underwood, E., D'Amico, J., Olson, D. Dinerstein, E. 1999. Terrestrial ecoregions of Africa. WWF & US Conservation Science Program.
85. Uys, V. 2002. A guide to the termite genera of southern Africa. pp. 116. Plant Protection Institute, ARC. Pretoria, SA.
86. Vandenbeldt, R.J. Geiger, S.C. 1991. Does soil fertility under Fidherbia albida precede the tree? Nitrogen Fixing Tree Research Reports 9 : 105 106.
87. van Rooyen, M.W., Theron, G.K., van Rooyen, N., Jankowitz, W.J. Matthews, W.S. 2004. Mysterious circles in the Namib Desert: review of hypotheses on their origin. Journal of Arid Environments 57 : 467 485.
88. Van Staden, P.J. Bredenkamp, G.J. 2006. A floristic analysis of forest and thicket vegetation of the Marakele National Park. Koedoe 49 : 15 32.
89. von Hardenberg, J., Meron, E., Shachak, M. Zarmi, Y. 2001. Diversity of vegetation patterns and desertification. Physical Review Letters 87 : 198101 1.
90. Wanyonyi, K., Darlington, J.P.E.C. Bagine, R.K.N. 1984. Checklist of the species of termites (Isoptera) recorded from East Africa. Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society and National Museum 181 : 1 10.
91. Watson, J.P. 1967. A termite mounds in an Iron Age burial ground in Rhodesia. Journal of Ecology 55 : 663 669.
92. Wiegand, K., Ward, D. Saltz, D. 2005. Multi-scale patterns and bush encroachment in an arid savanna with a shallow soil layer. Journal of Vegetation Science 16 : 311 320.
93. Wood, T.G. Sands, W.A. 1978. The role of termites in ecosystems. In : Brian, M.V. (ed.) Production ecology of ants and termites. pp. 245 292. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
94. Wood, T.G., Johonson, R.A. Anderson, J.M. 1983. Modification of soils in Nigerian savanna by soil-feeding Cubitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae). Soil Biology and Biochemistry 15 : 575 579.
95. Wu, M. Zou, Y. 2009. Trimmed and Winsorized means based on a scaled deviation. Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference 139 : 350 365.