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Contrasting termite diversity and assemblages on granitic and basaltic African savanna landscapes

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Abstract

Termites are recognised soil ecosystem engineers in the tropics and sub-tropics, making the understanding of their distribution a priority. However, there is a poor understanding of how differences in soil properties and plant biomass productivity affect termite species diversity. We compared the diversity of termites between two soils of differing geological provenance (basalt and granite), and consequently contrasting nutrient content, but subject to similar climatic conditions in a semi-arid Zimbabwean savanna. Basaltic soils contained more dead wood, and were more nutrient-rich than granitic soils, with significantly higher exchangeable Ca and Mg, and available P, and a less acidic pH. However, despite this higher soil nutrient status on basalts, functional and taxonomic termite diversity was higher on granites, although termite abundance was similar between the geological formations. Termite assemblages differed between the geological formations, with very little overlap. We conclude that termite diversity is highly influenced by soil productivity, with nutrient-poor soils having higher diversity, potentially due to reduced competitive exclusion or differences in species adaptation to soil conditions.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Director General of the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZNPWMA) for permission to carry out this research in Gonarezhou National Park. Vivienne Uys is thanked for assistance with termite identification and we express gratitude to our two hard working field assistants, Marco Mudede and Buckley Dzamara. This research was funded by the University of the Witwatersrand.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Restoration and Conservation Biology Research Group, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa

    J. Muvengwi, A. B. Davies & E. T. F. Witkowski

  2. Department of Natural Resources, Bindura University of Science Education, Private Bag, 1020, Bindura, Zimbabwe

    J. Muvengwi

  3. Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, USA

    A. B. Davies

  4. Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa

    F. Parrini

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  1. J. Muvengwi
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  2. A. B. Davies
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  3. F. Parrini
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  4. E. T. F. Witkowski
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Correspondence to J. Muvengwi.

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Muvengwi, J., Davies, A.B., Parrini, F. et al. Contrasting termite diversity and assemblages on granitic and basaltic African savanna landscapes. Insect. Soc. 65, 25–35 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-017-0582-7

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