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- Title
Termite ecology in a dry evergreen forest in Thailand in terms of stable (δ <sup>13</sup> C and δ <sup>15</sup> N) and radio (<sup>14</sup> C, <sup>137</sup> Cs and <sup>210</sup> Pb) isotopes.
- Authors
Tayasu, Ichiro; Nakamura, Toshio; Oda, Hirotaka; Hyodo, Fujio; Takematsu, Yoko; Abe, Takuya
- Abstract
Stable (δ13 C and δ15 N) and radio- (14 C, 137 Cs and 210 Pb) isotopes were determined for termites that have been sampled from a dry evergreen forest in Thailand. A wood-feeding termite, Microcerotermes crassus , was separated from soil-feeders: Termes propinquus , Termes comis and Dicuspiditermes makhamensis by δ13 C and δ15 N values. The Termes group in Thailand had less diverse values in δ13 C and δ15 N than those in Australia, where the feeding habits of the ‘Termes ’ group are more diverse. Other soil-feeding termites produced similar δ13 C values, but a larger range in δ15 N values. 14 C-percent modern carbon (pMC) values suggest that the soil-feeding termites used younger carbon than the wood-feeding termites, and this was consistent with the termites from Cameroon, central Africa. Values of δ13 C and 14 C-pMC indicate that surface soil was used by a soil-feeding termite, D. makhamensis , in making the nest mounds, and deeper soil (10–30 cm) by a fungus-growing termite, Macrotermes carbonarius . 210 Pb and 137 Cs were scarcely incorporated into the termites, although 214 Pb was recovered from the workers. The results suggest that stable- and radioisotopes are useful in the study of detritivorous animals, organic matter decomposition and ecosystem engineering.
- Subjects
THAILAND; TERMITES; ANIMAL ecology; RADIOISOTOPES
- Publication
Ecological Research, 2002, Vol 17, Issue 2, p195
- ISSN
0912-3814
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1046/j.1440-1703.2002.00479.x