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      Termite participation in the soil-forming processes of 'murundus' structures in the semi-arid region of Brazil

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          Abstract

          ABSTRACT Regularly spaced earth mounds called “murundus” are scattered in several landscapes in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Although recent evidence indicates that termites are involved in the building of murundus, the contribution of these insects to soil-forming processes in those structures remains poorly understood. In this study, we tested a set of hypotheses to examine whether there are consistent evidence for suggesting the participation of termites in the formation of murundus soils. Morphological and physicochemical features of murundus were compared with adjacent soil profiles in the inter-mounds surface and one epigeic nest built by one species of Syntermes Holmgren. The murundus soils had a more clayey texture, higher contents of nutrients (C, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and organic matter compared with adjacent soils. We identified a set of recent and ancient traces inside the murundus that reveals the intense building activity of termite colonies (e.g., galleries, tunnels, and royal chambers), confirming that these structures are not only occupied by these insects but also built-up by them. Taken together, our results provide hard evidence that the long-term activity of mound-building termites was the hierarchically dominant process in producing murundus structures in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Based on available empirical data, we propose an explanatory model on how that construction process may have taken place.

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          Most cited references32

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          Soil invertebrates as ecosystem engineers: Intended and accidental effects on soil and feedback loops

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            Heuweltjies (earth mounds) in the Clanwilliam district, Cape Province, South Africa: 4000-year-old termite nests

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              Termite soil preferences and particle selections: strategies related to ecological requirements

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                Author and article information

                Journal
                rbcs
                Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo
                Rev. Bras. Ciênc. Solo
                Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do Solo (Viçosa, MG, Brazil )
                1806-9657
                2020
                : 44
                : e0190133
                Affiliations
                [2] Ilhéus Bahia orgnameUniversidade Estadual de Santa Cruz orgdiv1Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Brazil
                [3] Itabuna Bahia orgnameCentro de Pesquisas do Cacau Brasil
                [1] Salvador Bahia orgnameUniversidade Federal da Bahia orgdiv1Instituto de Biologia orgdiv2Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Biomonitoramento Brazil
                Article
                S0100-06832020000100403 S0100-0683(20)04400000403
                10.36783/18069657rbcs20190133
                98e13ff5-39eb-4b99-8129-c506552881ca

                This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

                History
                : 03 March 2020
                : 16 October 2019
                Page count
                Figures: 0, Tables: 0, Equations: 0, References: 45, Pages: 0
                Product

                SciELO Brazil

                Self URI: Full text available only in PDF format (EN)
                Categories
                Division - Soil Processes and Properties

                Caatinga biome,Syntermes,soil-forming processes,landforms,ecosystem engineering

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