Spatial pattern of termite mounds and its association with vegetation with experimental insights on mound repair in response to ant diversity

Abstract

Termites are considered pests all around the world in Human settlements and agricultural fields. But in Nature, termites are ecosystem engineers, they play a key role in keeping the ecosystem balanced by processing plant material and returning nutrients to the environment. In the African savanna and the Tropical Rainforest of Malaysia, termites are well studied, and termite mounds are considered nutritional hotspots. In the African continent, the genus Macrotermes is well studied, and their distribution mainly depends on the colony size. The larger colony size utilizes more space for foraging around the mound and also shows great intra- and interspecific competition between the colonies. In India, very few studies have been conducted on Termites. In this study, we investigated the spatial ecology of Termite mounds (genus Odontotermes) in the Sal-dominant Forest of Western Rajaji National Park. To understand the spatial ecology of termite mounds, we assessed their spatial distribution patterns using GPS mapping, mound morphometric characteristics, the influence of surrounding vegetation, and soil chemical properties. We studied the mound repair dynamics of the termites with respect to the predatory pressure exerted by the surrounding mound organisms. We created artificial breaches in termite mounds to monitor repair rates, while pitfall traps around mounds assessed ant diversity and abundance in the surrounding area. The Size classes of the Termite Mound didn’t show any kind of territoriality around them. Vegetation around termite mounds (Odontotermes) didn’t show any type of heterogeneity around the termite mounds. Termite mounds of the small size class show a faster repair rate than the larger termite mounds. The Ant diversity does not dictate the termite mound repair rate.