Termites are the main dung removals in a degraded landscape in Brazil

Autor(es)

Alves, Frederico R. ; Aguilera-Olivares, Daniel ; Rocha, Mauricio Martins ; Arab, Alberto

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION; v. 10, p. 8-pg., 2022-09-15.

Resumo

Termites are one of the most relevant groups for recycling nutrients and keeping the flow of energy in ecosystems. Although their role as lignocellulose decomposers is the focus of studies, they also act as dung recyclers, but their importance in this process is poorly understood. Here we performed manipulation experiments to determine dung removal by termites in forest remnants and cattle pastures in a fragmented Atlantic Forest landscape. We used wire bags of different mesh sizes placed along transects in three forest fragments and pastures for 10 days to compare the contribution of termites and other coprophagous macrodetritivores to dung removal. Our results indicated that termites removed more dung in pastures than in the forest fragments. In addition, dung beetle exclusion significantly reduced the percentage of dung removal within forest fragments, but not on pastures, indicating termites are important dung recyclers in pastures. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 15/21497-6 - Aspectos ecológicos e moleculares da digestão da lignocelulose em cupins superiores neotropicais
• Beneficiário: Alberto José Arab Olavarrieta
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 18/22839-6 - Efeito da dieta na diversidade bacteriana do trato digestivo de cupins (Termitidae)
• Beneficiário: Alberto José Arab Olavarrieta
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular