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      The role of termites in an equatorial rain forest ecosystem of West Malaysia : II. Leaf litter consumption on the forest floor.

      1 , 2
      Oecologia
      Springer Nature

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          Abstract

          To estimate the rate of consumption of leaf litter by termites on the forest floor of Pasoh Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan, West Malaysia, newly fallen leaves were marked and distributed on the ground. The loss of leaf area due to termites was determined either photometrically or visually. An average of 1.70% of the total surface area of the leaf litter disappeared per week in experiment 1 and 1.25% in experiment 2 in Plot 1, and 2.9% per day in other plots located near the mounds of Macrotermes carbonarius. The amount of leaf litter accumulation in the Ao layer was estimated at about 2.3 t/ha at Plot 1, so it was likely that an amount equivalent to about 32% of the daily leaf-litter fall was transported by M. carbonarius to their mounds in experiment 1 and 22% in experiment 2. It was considered that the termites had an important role in the detritus food chain of the ecosystem.

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          The role of termites in an equatorial rain forest ecosystem of West Malaysia

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            Changes in the Content of Dry Matter and Major Nutrient Elements of Apple Foliage During Senescence And Abscission

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              The role of termites in tropical forestry

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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Oecologia
                Oecologia
                Springer Nature
                1432-1939
                0029-8549
                Jan 1979
                : 38
                : 3
                Affiliations
                [1 ] Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Fukazawa, Setagaya-Ku, 158, Tokyo, Japan.
                [2 ] Department of Biology, Science and Engineering Division, University of the Ryukyus, 903, Naha, Okinawa, Japan.
                Article
                10.1007/BF00345187
                10.1007/BF00345187
                28309487
                a93104ea-cf89-4f17-8fab-25dcfa17ebbf
                History

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